Incorporate And Incorporation Services

Knowing How Important It Is To Choose The Best Incorporation Service

2008-05-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Incorporating a business is an absolute necessity for survival in the current business environment. Those businesses that have decided to resist taking advantage of the benefits of the best incorporation service are doing themselves a great disservice. In order to survive within the current business climate and within the legal environment businesses find themselves in, incorporation is an absolute must and seeking out a quality incorporation service would greatly facilitate the process.

There are a number of reasons why an incorporation service would greatly benefit an individual who is conducting business. These reasons include such items as limited liability, tax breaks, a legal identity that is separate from one's personal identity, and an exterior image that looks professional. These are all items that are absent when a person tries to operate a business outside of the banner of incorporation.

Of all these reasons, the most important aspect is for a business owner to protect his or her own personal finances and assets from any liability if any civil litigation develops from actions related to your businesses ventures. If an individual business proprietor was without the protection that incorporation and a civil action occurred, any civil litigation taken against the individual could assault personal wealth, bank accounts, seizure of assets and property up to and including the business owner's home. When a business is incorporated, then the only assets that may be broached would be those assets that fall under the umbrella of incorporation. To not seek a quality incorporation service is to take an incredibly significant risk that could cause a person to end up in bankruptcy.

There is another reason that seeking the professional services of the best incorporation service is a wise idea and it ties into the main reason why a business fails. While most would assume that poor management will sink a company, this is not always the case, although it is the case in a great many instances. One of the most overlooked causes of a business failing involves under capitalization. In other words, the business runs out of money.

If revenue streams have dried up, then there needs to be an influx of money from other sources. The best source would be investment capital and if a business is not incorporated, then the ability to raise investment capital will be greatly limited. Anyone who invests in a company that is not incorporated risks their personal assets in civil litigation. If that is the case, then the business will bleed red ink and eventually have to close its doors. If that isn't an endorsement for incorporating a business, then nothing is.

Seek the advice of a professional and the best incorporation service and avoid any unnecessary delays. Incorporating a business is a serious matter and should be explored to its fullest extent.

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on business incorporation and Delaware incorporation at http://www.incorporationchoice.com

When To Use Incorporation Services If You Are Going Into Business Yourself

2008-05-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about going into business for yourself, you may wonder about how to go about incorporating your business. While it is fairly easy to research the varying forms of incorporation and actually go through the process, you may want to engage the services of one of the several incorporation services. Here are a few scenarios in which this help may be a very wise thing.

The fact of the matter is that sometimes people who have great ideas for a product or service have absolutely no common sense when it comes to the nuts and bolts of setting up a company properly. If you fall into this particular category of visionary, then you would be very well served to let professional incorporation services step in and handle that task for you. They will make sure you are incorporated in the state that is to your best advantage, as well as make sure your business is legally organized to best model how your company will operate.

While you may be perfectly capable of understanding how incorporation works, you may not have the time. This can be especially true if you are wrapping things up with a current employer as you prepare to launch your own business. If it is a question of carving out time to actually handle the paperwork and the filing, then using services for incorporation makes sense. You can focus your attention on taking care of any loose ends associated with your old job, while professionals are handling the incorporation on your behalf.

Incorporation services will always know the latest on the status of incorporation requirements relevant to all locations they serve. What this means for you is that you can be sure they are making decisions on your behalf based on up to the minute information. This prevents you from possibly making a mistake, based on reading something that may have been current last year, but is no longer true today. You can count on these businesses to be informed and up to date.

Many will not only research and prepare the necessary paperwork for you to sign. They will also follow through all the way until the incorporation is registered, then make sure you receive all the pertinent documents. Some will go one step further with you by advising you of how to obtain a local business license and set up financial accounts after your incorporation is complete. They may also advise you of the types of tax forms and other reporting you will have to do on the earnings of the company to local and federal agencies.

Using them can be a great idea for many people. If you think you may be one of them, contact incorporation services in your area, or search online for more details.

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on Business Incorporation and California Incorporation at http://www.incorporationchoice.com

Can I Use An Incorporation Service For My Business? Probably.

2008-05-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

If you are starting a small business or you are thinking of incorporating your existing business or forming an LLC, you may have seen banners and advertising for an online incorporation service. And if you have, you've probably wondered just how good these services are. Can incorporating online save you attorney fees? If you set up a corporation through an online incorporation service, will it be legal in your state? Could you save even more by buying a book about how to form a corporation or LLC and doing everything yourself instead of using an online incorporation service? These are very logical and common questions that will be addressed in this article.

If you do a search on the internet for incorporation service or some similar search term, you will get a multitude of results from all over the world. Many will be an incorporation service for a particular state; some will incorporate your business in any state; while others will offer an incorporation service for offshore locales. You will also see a great variance on total fees charged for this incorporation service which now tend to be more competitive. You can complete the filing yourself, or utilize the services of an attorney or an incorporation service provider. Using an attorney is the most expensive, but typically doesn't require much of your time. Hiring an attorney is not necessary by any means, but is recommended if you have an unusual situation or just don't feel comfortable doing it. If you need professional advice, by all means, consult an attorney and/or accountant

The various services offered by an incorporation service usually includes everything you need to form a new profit or non-profit Corporation or LLC. This generally includes name availability in your state, and also preparation of the articles of incorporation and other documents required by the state or offshore locale if you are going that route. The incorporation service will forward the documents to you for signature, and after they are returned to them, they file them with the appropriate Clerk of Court. You will receive the appropriate proof of filing from the state.

This self-incorporation service is not meant to circumvent or to cast dispersion from the value of obtaining professional help. While a lawyer can assist you complete the process, incorporating is not as expensive if an incorporation service is utilized.

If you do choose to incorporate your own business, using an online incorporation service will save you time and ensure that the forms get filled out properly and all the paperwork submitted in the proper way.

Many attorneys, accountants and business owners worldwide use an incorporation service simply for the ease, convenience, and speed. While a lawyer can assist you complete the process, incorporating is not as expensive if an incorporation service is utilized. Since so many businesses opt for incorporating online, the companies providing incorporation service is growing rapidly. I have also used an incorporation service in the past and was very satisfied, both from a cost standpoint and ease of use.

In general, forming a corporation can have a positive effect on your clients or customers. They tend to have more of a comfort factor dealing with a professional corporation. So, if you want to form a new corporation or incorporate an existing business, and you aren't aware of any unusual circumstances, then by all means, use an incorporation service.

Gust A. Lenglet is an accountant and financial advisor for many years. He is President and CEO of HBS Financial Group, Ltd. and offers online tax filing as well as income tax articles and information.

Business Incorporation Services

2008-05-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

Secure your corporate name, file the necessary documentation and pay the necessary filing fees. These are the three easy steps needed in business incorporation services.

In business incorporation services, you have a choice on how to go about the process of incorporating your business. You can complete the

steps yourself, use an incorporation service provider or have an attorney complete them for you. That easy.

Doing it yourself.

If you decide to incorporate on your own, you need to be knowledgeable in the laws of the state of incorporation. You need to prepare and file your own documentation and undertake all communications with the necessary state agencies.

Using an incorporation service provider.

If you use an incorporation service company, you submit the necessary information. The company will then check your name, prepare and file your documents and pay the initial state filing fees on your behalf.

Incorporation service companies charge a nominal service fee on top of the state filing fees. You can submit all the necessary information to them over the Internet.

Using an attorney.

Attorneys will also undertake all of the necessary steps for you. If you use an attorney to incorporate, expect to pay their hourly fee besides the state filing fees.

How long the process will take will depend on the time the state requires to approve and return your completed Articles of Incorporation.

These things vary by state. But on the average, it usually takes four to six weeks to become incorporated.

Most states will allow you to speed up the filing process for an additional charge. The charges also vary by state. Expediting filings normally takes about one week.

After the corporation is created, an organizational meeting of directors must be held. At this meeting bylaws are adopted, stock is issued and the incorporation process is completed. Minutes of the organizational meeting should be kept in a corporate record book.

Incorporation is an important step in the existence of a business. Unfortunately the true value of incorporating a business is often not seen until the business faces a negative situation such as a law suit or bankruptcy.

What are the advantages of business incorporation services?

1. Limited liability in the corporate entity is afforded to the "owners", or the shareholders.

2. The corporation is not dependent upon its members. A corporation possesses the feature of unlimited life. If an owner dies or wishes to sell their interest, the corporation will continue to exist and do business.

3. Retirement funds and qualified retirement plans can be set up more easily with a corporation.

4. Ownership of a corporation can be transferred easily.

5. Capitals are raised quickly through the sale of stock.

6. A corporation has centralized management.

What are the disadvantages?

1. The primary disadvantage to a corporation is double taxation. Profits of a corporation are taxed twice when the profits are distributed to shareholders as dividends. They are taxed first as income to the corporation, then as income to the shareholder.

2. There is a level of complexity and expense of forming a corporation.

3. Corporations have extensive record keeping requirements.

4. Operating a corporation across state lines requires the corporation to qualify to do business in the other state.

Small business owners who are planning to incorporate and understand the benefits of incorporation should assess the types of business incorporation services that they can expect to receive from the company they are dealing with.

These small businesses understand the need for business incorporation services. However they have failed to take the steps to file their company as an incorporated company. Small business owners do not take advantage of business incorporation services for a number of reasons. Some do not have the time, while others are afraid it will just cost too much. Still some people procrastinate and plan to get to it sometime.

There are many companies providing business incorporation services that also include consultation and discussion about these risks and the benefits of incorporation.

Read more at http://NeoIncorporation.com>; about how to protect your assets and incorporate your business online quickly and reliably.

Incorporation Services: What Are The Benefits And Privileges

2008-05-13T02:28:00.000-07:00

In a very few years that Internet has been exiting, it has fast become a virtual shopping site where everything from the most common to the hard to find items can be found. Incorporation services are one. Most businesses choose to incorporate because of the benefits that can be derived from it.

Not long ago, only big businesses were incorporated. These businesses can provide the best compensation packages and benefits that are near to impossible in smaller establishments that are not incorporated.

During the middle half of the 1900?s, other smaller businesses started picking up the idea. One of the reasons that incorporated businesses enjoy is tax exemption and tax holidays that translate into big savings that can be used as additional capital.

During the 70?s the reason to incorporate even small businesses had been so attractive that small businesses started to incorporate. Later however, congress started curtailing the benefits that the big corporations are enjoying that today, even small organizations can start having additional fringe benefits. This resulted in smaller entities having parity with big corporations in terms of tax deductible benefits without being incorporated.

While parity has been achieved, there are still many reasons for incorporating.

One is image. A good title like President or the CEO of a corporation can command respect among clients. Clients would normally prefer to talk with the top executives of a company than any other person with a non-corporate title to back him up.

Another is the protection of a corporation when buying services. To soften the exposure of the company, many are now requiring independent contractors to incorporate themselves before their services are accepted.

An incorporated business has a wide range of powers. It has its own legal personality separate from its stockholders, owners and investors that is mandated and protected by state laws. It can
Enter into contracts and buy and sell properties and goods subject to lawful transactions.

When legal problems arise, anyone from the company can represent the corporation in behalf of the company.

An incorporated company is liable for its own debts. The directors, shareholder and owners are shielded from the company?s debt and can not be sued in behalf of the company. The company will have to bear the burden of is own debts from its own resources except in cases when an individual guarantees the corporate debt or as mandated by the court.

Corporations are granted a separate personality that it can go on even after the death of the owner and the shareholders.

In short, there is money to be saved privileges to be enjoyed when an entity is incorporated.

While books have been written whereby an individual can incorporate himself without a lawyer, the safest and surest way is still to have one. The expertise of a lawyer encompasses consideration for commercial law, laws on taxation, securities legislation, limited liability, local and national ordinances and a wealth of knowledge regarding business consideration. Furthermore, laws are being changed, proposed and amended from time to time that the law that a non-attorney is familiar with may already have been replaced.

A registered agent will be required for companies that are in the process of incorporation. They act as the representative for accepting service processes that include official government communication that are presented to the company, legal proceedings and legal notices.

Incorporation services can also provide you a registered agent when you require one.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides incorporation service resources on www.about-incorporation-services.info.

Corning Incorporated - A Network of Alliances

2008-05-12T01:45:00.000-07:00

Corning is a company with a multi million profits and a century long history. James Houghton is a current CEO of the company that is facing a few dilemmas and they have to be resolved as soon as possible in order for the company?s further successful development. The core of the company?s operations and main course of business was edge-cutting technology, however at this time their technology is not a market leader and they have to decide what to do with their three major branches. They need to remodel or cut off one or two of them so that they can carry on gaining leading positions in the business world and produce excellent product.

Lab sciences division is one of the three vital arteries in the body of the Corning company. Currently this branch is not being he most success, although in the course of past seven years, according to the financial statement, it has been the most profitable of the three and future forecast predicts further growth. The problem arises though, Ciba-Geigy a Swedish company who owns 50% of the Ciba Corning corporation is a partner who needs to be taken into consideration. They could buy Corning?s share for 150$ million and Corning would be free to do whatever they want. Ciba is a very well developed company with reputation and mutual business. On the other hand the competitors are spending huge amounts of money on the R&D, three times as much as Corning. It?s inefficient for real breakthrough and simply dangerous considering the possibility of losses if the competitors win over their market share which can happen if they do not increase R&D funding. Corning would be probably better off in case of terminating mutual business with Ciba-Geigy and turning to expanding fields such as professional testing for AIDS or chemical addiction. Combining forces with three other companies each of which is a professional in a specific field (pharmaceutical, clinical and environmental testing) Corning would be able to gain leading positions again. Spending almost 500$million on the investment into the purchase of such promising companies and getting back about 150$ million from selling of Ciba would be an optimal decision. This choice is a very risky one, although if money starts working immediately on the new products of the three new entities, it would most probably bring more profit than Ciba with its low return.

Considering the history of the company and its quality orientation, a new redirection of funds into a more perspective business would be a better idea than sticking with a more or less safe but slowly dying company. Corning is a company with a big experience in laboratory testing and important connections and partnerships that will help maintain high profit levels.

Another business sector Corning is involved in is communications sector. In 1980s when this field was only developing and Corning had a lot of patents on fiber and fiber and fiber-making products, it was receiving high profits. In a few years market for fibers grew immensely and Corning as a leading producer in the field gathered big dividends. The problem in the present time is that the customer needs a new approach with the fiber technology. For instance Corning should be focusing on the local systems rather than on long distance links which was already saturated enough in the US market. Besides it was a right decision to start introducing new sophisticated terminal peripherals to large communication companies and computer corporations. This is a way of the moving progress and together with these new technologies in computer sphere and local systems. Taking into consideration the amount of money that Corning is going to spend on the development of its laboratory testing division, it should hold back from big purchases and new joint ventures. The possible PCO?s partnership with IBM seems like a good project with a lot of potential but it should not be considered at the moment. PCO is able to develop on its own and thus it is on a safer side for the company to just continue doing what it was and stick to the 10$ million profit a year, even incurring operating loses.

The proposal with 100$ million investment into expending the U.S. capacity and making tough new fibers for the service homes is a prospectively successful and profitable venture. Distributing those 100$ million in three years is a smart decision and with growing market for such technologies it would bring profit without a doubt. The core strategy of the company coincides with such decision as Corning has been in this business for a long time besides it is only going to strengthen their evolving network organization. Interrelated businesses will only win from this situation and gain a supportive partner in the face of PCO, such businesses as their testing laboratories in need of local operations based on fiber produced by the same company.

The third division of Corning?s business is television glass. In 1988 company had to close three big factories manufacturing television glass, the reason for it being an increasing expansion of Asian and especially Japanese competitors. Their production was of higher quality and definitely with newer high-tech features. Moreover one of the Japanese companies bought considerable shareholding in one of Corning?s companies Owens Illinois. In this difficult situation of severe competition and forced reduction of business units, Corning has to make a decision as to further activities in this field. Suggestion to cooperate with Asahi and to sell 49% of its glass business would be a helping hand for a drowning company. Asahi as a Japanese entity and a former business partner for a long period of time, which guarantees a secure environment, would be perfect candidate for the creation of a new fruitful alliance. It would provide an ensured cooperation with other Japanese companies and help survive on the American market. On the other side Corning will acquire resources for the development of liquid crystal displays which are major products of the future. Timing of this venture is suitable for both companies, as the foreign wants a helper to promote itself on an unknown market and Corning wants a technologically update partner.

In case of purchase of Corning by Asahi, the company would place itself in a new position in a strategic sense. Clearly in this situation Asahi would be the one with most control, because of their connections with Japanese TV manufactures and cutting edge technology. Thus Corning is left a role of the marketer and public relations specialist. On the other side there is a wonderful possibility to spend time and money for R&D to design an innovative model of liquid crystal displays, the goal that was set when creating a mutual business with Asahi. As was already said, Corning in this partnership will not be the one in leading position, but rather in learning and in case of successful technology development it will be a profitable one.

In such egalitarian corporation as Corning it is important to keep in mind that although all ?children? companies are independently run, there needs to be a firm controlling hand. Big money is involved in all three of possible ventures described above and by taking risk with any of them, company can lose a lot. On the other side by taking these steps or not taking them as in IBM case, they can realize huge profits and bigger market share due to increased quality (alliance of three professional laboratories) and technological innovations (in Japanese partnership).

According to their corporate strategy that follows from their strategy wheel, Corning aims at keeping businesses in four different areas. Specialty materials such as video displays, LCD, memory storage; communications- optical fibers and fiber optic cables; laboratory products and testing; consumer house ware-cookware, tableware, sunglasses are those areas. Regarding the companies current situation keeping all four of them and maintaining a 25% share of the whole company business is not a strategically secure decision. House ware division needs to be at least reduced to 15%-10% in order to lessen spending on the part which is not company?s unique competency. Efforts should be focused on the other three segments to return invested money and to make profit. Narrowing down production and operations would only save company money, human resources and help maintain focus on the ultimate goal of surviving.

Jeff Stats is an expert at Mindrelief.net. Our custom essay writing service is a great chance for you to present an essay of the highest standard to your professor. The assistance of our writers is a priceless input in your professional development. Order college essay or research paper from our writing service.

Building a Home to Incorporate Passive Solar Heating

2008-05-10T00:28:00.000-07:00

As global warming and fuel prices encroach upon our daily lives, renewable energy sources are gaining a lot of attention. Solar is one form of renewable energy you can incorporate into a new home without using panel systems.

Mention the phrase solar power and what do you think of? Panel systems comprised of a bunch of solar cells. Maybe they are in the backyard. Maybe on the roof. Regardless, they are bulky, expensive and not much to look at when it comes to the appearance of your home. Fortunately, there is another form of solar power you can take advantage of without using panel systems.

Passive solar is a concept that focuses on using the power in sunlight to heat a home. More importantly, the concept incorporates solar heating both during the day and night. If you are building a new home, you would be wise to give the concept some thought. A new home should last for a long time and passive solar heating can save you a ton of money in heating costs over that time. In many cases, it may eliminate the heating costs entirely.

Passive solar is a theory based on heat retention and heat movement. The classic example of solar heating is parking your car in the sun at a mall on a sunny day. What happens when you come out? The interior of the car is roasting hot. Why? The sun has beat down through the windows and heated up the surfaces in the car. With the windows up, the heat is retained and the surfaces can get painfully hot. This is heat retention.

What is the first thing you do when you want to get in the car? You roll down the windows. Why? The hot air will escape, which cools the car. The heat escapes because hot air always moves away from hot surfaces and towards cooler surfaces. This is known as heat movement.

You can use heat retention and movement to incorporate passive solar heating in your home. The idea is to let as much sun as possible through the south facing wall of your home, typically through large windows. To retain the heat, you want to maximize your thermal mass. This is done by placing absorbing materials and colors on the ground below the windows. During the day, these materials absorb the heat. They will give off some of it, but not as much as you might think since the air in the house is normally fairly warm.

Once the sun goes down, your thermal heat products will start to radiate heat. Why? Well, the cooling air temperature will act to suck the heat out of the materials much like opening your window in the hot car resulted in the hot air getting sucked out the windows. Ah, but how long will the thermal mass heat the home? Well, if you are building your home from scratch, you can incorporate enough of the proper material that it will radiate heat throughout the entire night.

Obviously, this article represents an overview of passive solar heating. If you are building a new home, however, you would be wise to look into the concept. Fuel prices are only expected to rise in the future, so a little proactive planning could save you a bundle in heating costs.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - information on building your own home.

Understanding What It Means to Incorporate

2008-05-08T03:56:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering whether incorporating would be the right option to exercise for your business, it could be helpful to understand the elements of a corporation before making that decision. So, let us look at these elements.

The shortest definition of a corporation is that it is a legal entity created by a state filing, which has a separate existence from its owners. It is a creature of legal fiction because it is an artificial entity, which only exists in the contemplation of the law.

A corporation is created when your articles of incorporation have been completed, filed and approved by the proper authority, usually the state?s Secretary of State. Some states call the articles of incorporation a ?charter? or a ?certificate of incorporation?.

Most people are familiar with the ?general partnership? type of business structure. This type of structure is an extension of its owners. Unlike a corporation, a general partnership does not need any formal papers from a state official or agency in order to exist. Thus, if David and Gina decided to jointly operate a corner store without signing any formal agreement between them and without filing any document with the state, they will still be deemed to have a general partnership. It should be obvious then that it is much easier to form a partnership than forming a corporation.

Corporations however, do have distinct advantages over the ordinary partnership. A primary advantage you stand to gain by forming a corporation is limited liability. This means that the owners, who are usually called shareholders in the business, are not generally held responsible for its debts and liabilities. The corporation offers this limited liability protection because it exists as a legal entity, separate from its shareholders. Corporations also file separate tax returns with the IRS, with their profits and losses distinctly separate from their shareholders? income. Profits can be passed on to the shareholders in the form of dividends. The shareholders will be required to pay personal income tax on these.

There are distinct differences between publicly held and privately held corporations. When you incorporate your business it does not imply that you will ? by default - be going public, or that the stock in your corporation will be traded on stock exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. Many people make the erroneous assumption that the term corporation means a large, publicly held company. In reality, there are many more privately held corporations than publicly held ones.

In privately held corporations (or closely held corporations), the ownership of the company is private, meaning that the stock is not offered for sale to the general public. Private companies generally have relatively few shareholders, when compared to the horde of shareholders in public held corporations. Most entrepreneurs who incorporate their businesses establish closely held corporations, often with as few as one shareholder, and keep them closely held throughout the life of the business. One of the biggest privately held corporations in the world is S.C. Johnson Inc.

The option is always there for privately held corporations to go public. Many successful corporations grew out of entrepreneurial dreams and visions in a college dorm room, a basement, or a garage. Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Apple are examples of private companies started by entrepreneurs that grew to be large, multinational, public corporations. Perhaps, in the future, yours too could become a Wall Street favorite.

My name is Ashley Castellanos, and I have been helping Internet business owners set up and run their businesses correctly since 1997. I own Corporation Soft, a company that was created for, and is dedicated to teaching business owners about how to incorporate properly.

Affiliate - Why You Should Always Incorporate Other People's Ideas

2008-05-07T02:02:00.000-07:00

Most of people who do business (or marketing for that matter) online never had the experience of doing it offline. They never even had any idea of how direct response business work.

Just because you do online affiliate business where you don?t have to have a direct contact with your customer and have the freedom of making money even if you go to the moon, you can still benefited from the good old selling techniques. Trust me there is a lot of information you can use that will multiply your profits.

When you read on showbiz magazines try to pay attention on those headline and ads that caches your eye. Is it the words, the color or the picture? If there is something that caches your attentions don?t you think that it will also caches your visitors too?

Go to Wal-Mart or any retail store in your town and look at the big picture to see how they arrange their products. Do they do it in colors or size or types? Look at their sales offer and observe how they attract shoppers. Go to the book section and see what?s hot on their shelves, read careful the titles of the best sellers and take a look at the magazines covers.

Go to your local car dealership and let the salesman sell you, take some mental notes on how they attract a buyer, is it the features or they elicit the emotions, these places will help you to get some ideas of how you can plan an affiliate marketing mix.

Trust me these companies spend millions on advertising, they may not make a profit for three to four years when they introduce a new product so take it seriously. By the way do you know how much money Geigo have spent just to have their brand on the map? Use what have already worked out and you will succeed, don?t try to reinvent the wheel especially when you don?t have a huge budget to advertise.

The Author is running a very powerful affiliate program that you can earn a very high conversion. Test drive it today at http://lonelyou.com/affiliate3.html

Affiliates - Do You Incorporate Google Adsense?

2008-05-06T03:26:00.000-07:00

The following article is one of a series of articles which focus on Affiliate, Article and Internet Marketing. All of the articles are based on real experiences and research done over twenty years as a personal and business coach. They are also written in response to questions which I have been asked as well as address common challenges that people have with affiliate marketing, article marketing, internet marketing or running an online business in general. I sincerely hope that you find the following information of value. One idea, one tip, one clue can make all the difference.

A lot of people are lured by affiliate marketing because it can be financially rewarding, even if you just stay at home.

Affiliate marketing programs are best alternatives to those who are sick and tired of their arduous daily work just to climb up the venerated corporate ladder. You don't need products to sell, you just have to market them in your own web site and you don't have to worry about processing the customers' payments and the shipment of the products.

If you are already into affiliate marketing, probably you were thinking about these benefits, too, before deciding to join an affiliate program.

The Internet is a huge library of information, use it to learn of other opportunities and ways to increase your income. You can partner with several merchandisers and promote different products in your website; thereby, increasing your chance to earn a commission.

The easiest way for you to rev up your revenue potential is by incorporating Google AdSense into your marketing campaigns. There are other alternatives to Adsense but I will focus on this for now.

What is Google AdSense? What are its advantages? How can it boost my revenues? These are some of the questions you might want to ask. Let's try to probe into Google AdSense, so you would know how it could help you in your affiliate marketing program.

Merchants place their ads in Google, which is one of the most popular search engines or tools for locating various resources in the World Wide Web. Now the Google AdSense program allows you to display these ads in you website and when your visitors click through them, you earn. The advertiser, which is the merchant pays Google for every click-through made by the customer and you as a partner of Google, gets a share from that payment.

What's great about the Google AdSense is that the ads are relevant to the content of your web page. Most likely, visitors of your web site are interested on the theme of your site and specifically, on the content of your web page. So, seeing ads related to their interest would definitely drive them to click through the link or the ad. Using state-of-the-art technology, Google scans your web site and matches the content of your pages to their large database of advertisers; this way, Google is able to find ads that are targeted by the users of your site. In addition, Google changes the ads in your site as you change the content of your pages, so you can always expect the ads to be relevant to your site.

Having Google ads in your website is also a way of convincing your users to return to your site. Repeat customers multiply your income without having to exert extra effort to convince them again to click through your links. And your potential to earn doesn't depend on them alone. Since you already have their confidence, they can be your endorsers as well. They could refer your site to family and friends who probably share the same interests with them.

Advertisers in the Google AdSense program range from large international brands to small-time domestic and local businesses, so the targeted market for the ads can range as well. This adds variety to your site; thereby, attracting different kinds of users. As you attract more users, you increase your earning potential as well. If you are targeting a specific nationality for your site users, don't worry because AdSense can be used in different languages.

In order to boost your revenues through Google AdSense, you must pay attention to making web pages of high value topics.

Make contents related to high-paying ads, so you can earn more. Some ads pay only a few cents while some ads pay you dollars just for a single click. You would need to do a little research on this so you can come up with a more relevant content. Join affiliate marketing forums and get tips from experienced affiliate marketers.

Becoming an AdSense affiliate marketer is easy and fast. You just have to apply online and once your application is approved, you can instantly set up Google ads in your site. All you need to do is copy and paste some codes in your web pages and in no time the ads will appear in your site.

Strike while the iron is hot! Take advantage of the favorable circumstances the Internet is offering you. Make the most of your affiliate marketing opportunities, use Google AdSense!

Providing a focused problem solving approach through our personal and business coaching (especially to small businesses). This approach is linked to providing work at home businesses, affiliates and online businesses with PROFITABLE INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS.

Our primary theme and overriding goal is to provide you with the right choices that fit your needs, solve your problems.

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If you have heard about the huge earning potential of affiliate marketing, and are looking to get involved, you are in the right place. No matter what your current experience is, this site will show you the best options for you to start making money online today.

6 Traditional Business Practices to Incorporate Online

2008-05-06T03:23:00.001-07:00

Online entrepreneurship seems so divorced from the real world at times that we sometimes forget basic tenants of good business practice. By using the same rules that would fit any traditional business, the odds of success are greatly increased. Here are some general rules of business that carry over into the online world:

• Keep overhead low: Overhead for online may not be as steep as a the warehouse or heavy machinery you might find in the “real world,” but content and hosting dig into your bottom line, whether you realize it or not. Shop around and keep the prices as low as possible – never dismiss the costs. This goes hand in hand with the next suggestion…

• Keep good records: Good records help you assess strengths and weaknesses quickly. Calculating earnings and Return on Investment (ROI) is necessary to take your business to the next level.

• Find and keep good staff: If you decide to increase your exposure, both in terms of product and capital investment, you may be contracting out work. Whether it be a web designer or a writer, keeping track of the workers you can trust is essential. Build a reputation with your freelancers and treat them with respect, but don’t tolerate bad work.

• Build a brand: Make sure the customer can identify your product/online real estate with a very specific role or message. By having an easily identifiable message, customers will return to you. If the brand is very successful, you will become associated with you niche immediately, which is immensely valuable.

• Appeal to the customer first: Knowing what your customers want and constantly shaping content and products (not to mention message) around that need will keep you focused and successful.

• Invest in yourself: Once you know you can be profitable, be sure to invest some revenue in ways that will boost the effectiveness of the company. Whether it be a design overhaul or a new marketing campaign, don’t be afraid to roll profits back into a website to help it grow with more revenue.

While an online business may require less time to get off the ground, sound business principles should never be too far from any online entrepreneurs thinkinh. By being mindful of standard business practice, a savvy webmaster can keep their business efficient and profitable.

Phil B. Jones is a freelance writer specializing in finance and online business. He currently runs http://www.webmoneyresource.com, a blog dedicated to professional blogging, internet marketing and developing online streams of income.

Phishing Email Identity Theft Alert

2008-05-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

Phishing mails are similar to Spam Mails; however, the modus operandi is different all together. The similarity is that Spam and Phishing Mails are both annoying and hold potential threats of stealing identities. The characteristics of the mails are what separate Phishing and Spam mails.

Phishing is fraudulent mail that attempts to swindle identities, by gaining confidence of the receiver. The "Department of Justice" has put up alerts on such mails that inform the consumers to pay attention to the mails. The mails are sent to nearly every email box in the world, and the soul purpose is to steal. The emails may include luring information however; the information is fraudulent and should be ignored. The sender wants the receivers to respond to the mails and may include links to click where the receiver will provide his/her personal or confidential information. The mail may have information that upsets the reader, thus it is another type of strategy, which the sender utilizes to force the receiver to respond.

The mail may state "your account is being suspended," or it may claim "you have won x amount of cash, please respond now.'

Knowing which company is legit is important and learning how they make offers to consumers is just as important to help you avoid identity theft. Companies that claim you have won prizes will not ask for extensive information, rather they only ask for minimal information. Thus, when you receive Phishing Mails or Spam Mails the sender already has a degree of information on you from random selections, and when you answer the mails, you are only giving the sender the information he/she needs to claim your identity.

Always know your credit card lenders phone numbers and bank numbers, thus when you receive one of these mails call the company immediately at the original phone number and ask if they have sent you mail. Personally, I delete any mail that comes to my box, regardless of who the sender is, unless I know it is from my business or school. As a student, most of my work is done online, thus this too opens doors for perpetrators, since payments to the school are often required at the school. However, I disregard any commands to send payments online and send my payments through postal mail. Still, this is scary.

In the UK, a friend informed me that postal workers are stealing identities and selling the information to thieves so that they can stay in England. I do not know the level of truth in this allegation at this point; however, anything is possible when it comes to identity theft. I am ready to instruct anyone paying bills to pay a low cost for Money Orders and submit your bill payments, since your check has enough information available that anyone can gain control of your accounts.

Thieves come in all forms, including postal workers, utility clerks, court clerks, judges, lawyers, doctors, mothers, fathers, spouses, et cetera. Likewise, victims come in the same form.

Few samples of Phishing Mails include information such as "Closed Account." The email address may appear to come from genuine banks. Recently, phishing mails came from "FDIC" claiming that the account holder's 'account has been frozen." The receiver was asked to click on the link provided in the body of the email and provide pertinent information now. Thus, the email continued to threaten the emotions of the receiver by claiming that the head nacho man has instructed the bank to discontinue any activity by you, under a particular Act.

Few Phishing Mails request the receiver to download attachments with claims to store "Internet Billing Notice" and once the receiver downloads, they find them self in a whirl of problems, since Viruses, Trojans, or other nasty contaminates are attached to the mail. The contaminate in turn redirects to the receivers "email contact list."

EBay is another area where perpetrators frequent and have even put forth the effort to steal identities or gain from the auction provider's clientele. The Internet unfortunately, is the single most dangerous area where identity thieves frequent. Therefore, protect your self by learning more about identity theft and how to protect your self from the crime that is claiming millions of identities each year.

Tony Robinson is an International Author, Webmaster and Security Guru. Check out his Identity Theft Protection Tips at http://www.officialidentitytheft.com/

5 Ways to Incorporate Network Marketing with Your Home-Based Business Opportunity

2008-05-01T03:15:00.001-07:00

Many people are looking for a new business opportunity to make money at home. The Internet has made it possible to market products and services all over the world. This has created a huge potential for individuals to be involved in their own home business.

Some people work at home for themselves, providing services to others, or selling their own exclusive products. There are business opportunities in MLM, and network marketing that allow a person to earn money while selling for someone else. Either way, it depends on the ambition and dedication of the person involved. Any business can become a success with hard work and a product that is easy to sell.

Finding a Business Opportunity

Network marketing is about selling and dispersal. You want to get your product known to prospective customers and have it distributed so that it creates more sales for you. By investing a small sum of money, you can begin to make money and work from home selling your own products or products for another company.

Promote Your Business

The first and best form of advertising and marketing is word of mouth. Whenever a person finds a new product, or a new store, new doctor, or a new restaurant, they tell everyone they know about it. This stirs up interest and encourages people to try something new. If you have a product or service to sell, the ones who use it will become your best form of advertisement. Many businesses depend on this positive form of network marketing.

Secondly, to make your product known to more people, try printing business cards to hand out everywhere you go. When you go to the grocery store, church, school meetings or other everyday places, hand your cards out with a friendly smile. This will spread your name and increase your business opportunity.

Thirdly, you can promote your products through your own website or by emailing people from related websites. The Internet is also useful for marketing by submitting articles related to your products to other websites.

Fourthly, another effective network marketing tool is a send-out card. These keep you in touch with your clients and customers by using a more personal approach. Sending an email is easy and cheap but it does not seem as personal as a card addressed to them

Fifthly, network marketing is not just about making a one-time sale. You need to generate new sales and keep your customers coming back for repeat business. A business opportunity that enables you to add products or sell multiple products to your previous customers will give you a solid foundation for building a steady yearly income.

Following up on your customers will build a relationship that will develop confidence in your home business. By thanking your customers for their business and staying in touch, you show them how valuable their business is to you.

Build Your Home Business

The success of your home business will depend on your dedication and hard work. You don't have to start out with a lot of overhead expenses and huge facilities. By investing a few hours a week, you can slowly build your business and not be overwhelmed by debt. Start working today to build up your home business and enjoy fulfillment and financial security.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about 5 Business Opportunity Tips or Majon's Business and Entrepreneurs directory.

5 Ways to Incorporate Network Marketing with Your Home-Based Business Opportunity

2008-05-01T03:15:00.000-07:00

Finding a Business Opportunity

Promote Your Business

Build Your Home Business

Information on Eczema - Incorporate These Superfoods For Glorious Skin Health

2008-04-10T22:59:00.003-07:00

The Superfoods you should include in your diet to create beautiful, soft, clear skin are unique. Pick any three. Include them in your diet in the suggested quantities and monitor your eczema skin on a daily basis. Keep a diary, and make daily notes of your thoughts, the difference in your skin and the difference to how you feel. Good luck!

Sprouts: Sprouts are raw, live Superfoods that are easy to grow or can be purchased from any good health store. They are extremely life-enhancing and high energy foods and are excellent for creating an alkaline environment within the body. Sprouts are a complete protein with chelated minerals, vitamins and most importantly active enzymes. These Superfoods will improve, revitalise, regenerate, strengthen and enhance your eczema skin immediately. Popular examples of sprouts are pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, alfalfa and mustard seeds. Include at least two cups of sprouts on a daily basis.

Aloe Vera: Another Superfood which has strong strengthening properties for the skin. It will repair damaged tissue very rapidly and reduce inflammation, both well known conditions of eczema. Aloe is also well known for its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and anti-viral properties. It has been shown to benefit eczema skin as well many other maladies. Aloe can be used both internal and externally. Aloe should be taken twice daily with fruit juice (one tablespoon of Aloe juice added to one glass of orange juice). You can purchase Aloe juice from any good health store.

Flax Seeds: Flax, or linseed as they are sometimes called, are a wonderful body lubricant. They are unique because they contain the world?s richest source of omega 3. Flax has an abundance of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids. Unfortunately the body cannot create these omegas and so they must be taken internally. They speed up healing and the building of brand new tissue ? great for problem skin. Flax seeds heal and repair tissue, reduce inflammation and improve the immune system. Use flax at lease three or four times per week. Buy flax seed from your local health store. You can sprinkle seeds over salads, vegetables or in soups.

Wild Blue-Green Algae: This supplement contains every nutrient known to man and is known for its harmonising properties. It?s a great blood builder and immune system strengthener. Wild Blue-Green Algae is rich in B vitamins which are essential for the health of red blood cells. Algae also contains thousands of liver active enzymes which is very good for absorption. Algae also contains the magic property Chlorophyll. You should increase your intake of Algae each week. You should start with the minimum dosage and increase over a period of weeks. For best long term results increase to one tablespoon per day.

Now you have four Superfoods which will heal eczema very speedily - four Superfoods to choose from. As an aside, I would personally incorporate all four into your daily routine. But my challenge to you was to incorporate any two Superfoods for ten days. Go ahead. I dare you.

Janet R Simpson is a writer and health reporter. Her FREE weekly newsletter gives ?how to? tips to cure your eczema and maintain ultra healthly and beautiful skin using only natural products.

Subscribe today at: http://www.cureyoureczema.com

The Best Anti-Wrinkle Products Must Incorporate Vitamins

2008-04-10T22:59:00.001-07:00

Most people think of vitamins as valuable for feeling and remaining healthy. However, you may not be aware that they can also be used to stop aging. Yes, many health experts agree that taking certain vitamins and minerals is just as important as maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regime. We are going to discuss what vitamins help stop aging.

Vitamin E is one of the most important ways to combat aging because it is a very powerful antioxidant. This essential nutrient prevents cellular and tissue damage by neutralizing the free radicals in your body that cause them. The vitamin also displays immune-enhancing effects and may prevent cardiovascular disease. In addition, this nutrient aids increases the formation of red blood cells and promotes a healthy circulatory system. It may even protect your skin from the negative effects of air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and sunburns. Increasing your dosage of vitamin E may slow down the aging process.

Vitamin C is another important vitamin that will help you to fight the aging process. This antioxidant protects your body from free radicals, boosts your immune system and produces collagen which holds your cells together. This vitamin is found naturally in many foods such as oranges, broccoli, brussel sprouts, bell peppers and strawberries. It can also be found in many anti-aging creams and lotions. It is the only antioxidant proven to increase the production of collagen ? the skin component that is essential to slowing down the skin?s aging process.

Companies such as Hydroderm are well aware of the beneficial effects of Vitamin C; that is why products such as their Age-Defying Wrinkle Reducer mimic the same collagen producing effects. They have invented a unique ?Collagen Infusion Delivery System? which delivers entire collagen molecules directly to the skin. Researchers are studying the natural healing and anti-aging properties of certain vitamins in an attempt to recreate their positive end results. As a result, many of the today?s best anti wrinkle creams and lotions incorporate the same beneficial effects that vitamins traditionally have on the body.

If you want to slow down the aging process, consider taking vitamin E or C supplements in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. Better yet, purchase one of the many anti-aging products that produce the same beneficial effects as vitamins, but with faster results.

For the best anti wrinkle products, try visiting http://www.hydrodermskincare.com, a popular website that offers anti-aging tips, advice and resources to include information on anti aging skin care and the best anti aging eye cream sources.

Organic Substitutes To Be Incorporated Into Our Daily Living

2008-04-10T22:58:00.001-07:00

Many studies have certified that organic food is good for health, simply because the food is pure and is non-polluted. Organic certification and classification prohibits many additives such as hydrogenated fats which is the main cause of heart disease and other diseases like cancer, diabetes and obesity. It also prohibits the use of phosphoric acid, which cause osteoporosis. It prohibits animals which have been injected with antibiotics, which causes reduced immunity in humans. Hormones, which are commonly injected into farm animals cause gender confusion, obesity and some cancers in humans. It prohibits the use of pesticides, which are carcinogenic, and genetically modified foods, which can cause autism. It also prevents the use of artificial flavoring, preservatives and coloring, which can cause heart and liver diseases.

Some of the organic substitutes to be incorporated into our daily living are:

Brown rice for white rice.
Wholemeal flour and unbleached flour for white flour.
The organic alternative for sugar is molasses, and they come in many forms of which are organic blackstrap molasses and organic raw honey. Organic blackstrap molasses are extracted from cane sugar. It is rich in iron, calcium and potassium. Organic raw honey is honey, which had minimal processing and contains most of the beneficial ingredients.
Organic soymilk for cow milk. Contrary to popular belief, cow?s milk is not ideal for human beings and the organic alternatives are more suitable. Soymilk can reduce bad cholesterol, low in calories, contains soy isoflavones and is a good source of calcium. Another suitable, healthy alternative to cow?s milk is oatmilk. Rich in proteins and amino acids, this milk is also packed with water soluble fibre. Oat contains soy lecithin and omega 3 which are necessary for our brain cells and cell metabolism. Lecithin reduces fat, controls body sugar and regenerates cells.
Celtic live sea salt for the common salt or sodium chloride. Celtic live sea salt is processed by natural methods, using the sun and the wind. It contains 84 trace minerals and this method of processing has been in practice for 900 years from France. It can regulate blood pressure and increase the immunity of the body and increase cell regeneration.
Organic extra virgin flaxseed oil for normal cooking oil. It contains omega 3, 6 and 9 oils which needs to be consumed from external sources, as the body cannot produce these oils on its own. These oils reduces the rick of heart disease and reduces cholesterol, helps maintain healthy blood circulation, burns excess fat and promotes a smooth and healthy skin complexion.
Clinically proven certified 100% organic weight loss product for regular weight loss product.

Organic food is fast becoming the option of the era. More and more people are choosing the organic alternative as a start of a lifestyle change. As diseases are becoming more apparent these days, it would surely be necessary for us to take the precautionary measures for a healthy and fulfilling life ahead - hence, think organic.

A webmaster of Healthy Lifestyle blogzine. This blogzine provides a combination of factors to maintain good health - from eating healthy food to exercising regularly, loosing weight to being smoke-free, getting sufficient sleep to taking time to de-stress. It also features some latest and up to date health news. http://healthy-lifestyle.most-effective-solution.com

Benefits Of Eating Healthier And How To Incorporate Healthy Foods In Your Diet

2008-03-31T00:12:00.000-07:00

Creating healthy recipes involves the combination of good nutrition and good taste. Menus can be easy to prepare and fun to make. Recipes can take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Eating healthy is important but with hectic life styles, menus must be convenient and fit the the time schedules of today's busy lifestyles.

Over 100 Healthy Recipes provides dozens of healthy recipes each with detailed directions for preparation and tips to make sure your meals are a success.

the greater the variety of fresh whole foods you eat, the more essential nutrients you'll get and the healthier you're likely to be. So, in the Healthy Way of Eating,

Creating fast, easy, convenient and delicious ways to enjoy a full variety of foods and healthy cooking methods is just a matter of obtaining recipes that combine all of these essential components.

Searching the web for recipes and menu plans that cross geographic area or culture. Instead, they combine the best methods and ingredients from around the world. blending the tastes of the Mediterranean region with those of Asia by using beneficial Asian seasonings with healthy Mediterranean ingredients for the best of both worlds. The result is both familiar and comfortable, but also unique and exciting.

it?s about being healthy and living a productive and comfortable life. Above all, it is about avoiding the terrible health consequences of carrying around excessive weight.

There are "good" fats and "bad" ones, just like there's good and bad blood cholesterol. Saturated fats and trans fat have bad effects on cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, and corn oil) have good effects.

The latest studies show that by losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds you can dramatically improve your overall health status, whilst significantly diminishing your risk of disease.

There are certain foods that will provide specific benefits. If you need quick energy you might want to have some carbohydrates, honey is a good choice for quick energy. If your are starting an exercise regimen, you might want peas, oat bran or some past. fresh, organic foods. To find these recipes on the website, follow this link to our recipe assistant, which can be a tremendous help in meal planning.

For more information on healthy eating visit http://www.healthymenumailer.com/articles/ and browse through these articles on healthy eating. If you are ready to make a positive change in your eating habits consider the free trial for our healthy menu mailer

A Financial Analysis of Pantry Incorporated

2008-03-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

I truly believe that there are gems found in every sector and industry, regardless of the economic situation. Relative to the grocery store industry, while giants such as Safeway and Kroger hold a large market share in terms of capitalization over the industry, I have found a smaller, middle capitalization stock which has support to be understood as undervalued. This company, Pantry Incorporated (PTRY), after examining its fundamentals and technical features, regardless of recent news, has the capacity, as it has illustrated over the past few years, to continue its momentum and allow investors to claim strong capital gains.

I mentioned that Pantry is still a strong buy regardless of its recent news. Unfortunately, during this previous week, Pantry reported its quarterly earnings. Falling significantly short on its quarterly EPS estimates, Pantry increased cautionary emotions among investors when it claimed that its guidance for 2007 will be slightly lower than first understood. While some investors may claim this piece of news is very pessimistic, regarding the share price Pantry currently trades at, there should not be too much commotion activated among investors. Stating that the tail end of the year?s EPS should sit around 2.75, at Pantry?s current price, the company would maintain a forward looking P/E ratio of about 17 which is significantly below the multiple of both the industry of 22 and near the multiples of large cap rivals of Kroger at 16 and Safeway at 18. While of course investors and shareholders are always looking for growth in a company and having an EPS estimate which is 25% lower than the current reading is not favorable, as an investor, it is important to understand that the economy is slowing declining in terms of growth and most all companies will begin to feel the impact on their respective earnings.

During such times, it is vital for investors to look for value stocks, rather than growth, in defensive areas to maintain a strong and positive portfolio. In addition, because Pantry takes control over numerous convenience stores which supply inelastic goods such as tobacco, alcohol, and grocery items, investing in Pantry may be a wise decision for the next few months when uncertainty is placed on the final outcome of the US economy.

While I mentioned that Pantry is undervalued relative to the industry, it is also important to note that this company has only recently begun trading publicly and has strong growth potential relative to its share price. Examining more closely on the basis of figures, Capital IQ has suggested over the next five years at predetermined growth rate that Pantry, at its current share price, has a PEG ratio of 0.96. Comparing this number to the 1.82 PEG ratio found at both Safeway and Kroger adds extra emphasis that this company is still growing and has the potential, at its current price, to become even more undervalued. Taking a closer look at more unconventional multiple valuations, Pantry has done extraordinary well in reference to sales and revenue as illustrated with its astonishing 0.21 P/S ratio and 0.35 EV/R ratio over the past twelve months. Comparing these numbers to Kroger?s 0.27 and 0.35 respective numbers or even Safeway?s 0.39 and 0.53 respective numbers, Pantry, even as a middle capitalization stock seems to be performing quite well relative to the industry giants. In addition, Pantry also has been producing cash at excellent rates with an EBITDA, a proxy of cash flow, of near 280 million over the past twelve months and a solid profit margin of near 2%. Furthermore, Pantry?s ROE of about 30% is substantially higher than Kroger?s 23% and Safeway?s 14% which again signals that Pantry is taking appropriate measures with the funds it is receiving. Such analysis also acquiesces with the strong current ratio of 1.4 which Pantry holds, which is the only company out of Kroger and Safeway to post more current assets than current liabilities. Overall, when compared to the rest of the industry and the selected leaders, Pantry has lots of potential to improve relative to share price and possibly can continue its strong rally held from the previous six years.

In addition to the numbers, as stated prior, Pantry has grown relative to share price in dramatic fashion since its IPO debut in 1999 and has the strong technical support to advise further growth. Growing over 66% over the past two years and more than 150% over the past three years, Pantry, currently trading near 50 is below the simple moving average for the past 50 days, signaling strong growth potential. In addition, during the most recent quarterly report when the lackluster earnings picture worried some buyers, on high volume, the share price only fell marginally which signals some fairly bullish sentiment from shareholders. Thus, after examining the US economy, the fundamentals, and the technical outlook for Pantry, there is strong evidence to support that this company has all the right pieces to provide shareholders with the opportunity to take in a nice wealth of capital gains.

Dennis Biray presents advice on all kinds of topics ranging from finance and investing to fitness to sports. For more information email him at dbiray@gmail.com, or to view other articles written by him visit http://www.biraynetworks.co.nr

A Financial Analysis of Cenveo Incorporated

2008-03-29T01:30:00.001-07:00

In every industry I believe there are a few select stocks, regardless of the economic condition in the nation, which reserve the right to be highly noted as buy recommendations. When looking at the profound but interesting industry of paper products, while there are some excellent choices in the large capitalization range such as with International Paper and Kimberly-Clark, I have found another, more subtle middle capitalization company which contains the fundamentals for potential success. Thus, through not only the fundamentals, but through the charts and economic relevance to profile, I believe Cenveo Incorporated (CVO) provides optimistic sentiments for all investors.

Specifically detailing what Cenveo actually produces, according to Yahoo! Finance?s profile, Cenveo is involved with two major segments relative to ?Envelopes, Forms, and Labels and Commercial Printing? Looking at the former component, while some argument may be presented that such business will decline with the advancement in technology, as a short term investment there will be ample need for these office-required products. I say such sentiment because as companies continue to expand and require official hardcopies of evidence, since Cenveo takes an active role in as a third party supplier of such instruments, there should be no problem, with expanding industries and business, to locate specific firms across North America to deliver service too. In addition, Cenveo?s second segment of business and revenue can be attributed to commercial printing. With use of products such as ?annual reports, car brochures, brand marketing collateral, specialty packaging, and general commercial printing,? because advertising plays such a large role to all companies, having proper hard copied printouts to distribute will always be necessary and effective to lure in more consumers. Furthermore, since the business Cenveo is in does not completely comply with cyclical forces, as printing and paper service will be required during all kinds of economic environments, with a possible economic slowdown approaching, there should not be too much concern of being defensive with your shares of this company.

Nevertheless, as I mention such notable attributes, there may be some concerns relative to fundamentals. While such tentativeness conveys the strength of an intelligent investor, relative to the industry, there should not be too much concern when speaking of Cenveo. When examining the top line over the past few years, revenue growth, while not extraordinary, has illustrated an upward potential for further growth. In addition, some criticism may be placed on unaccomplished earning growth over the past three years, resulting in a loss of 135 million in the fiscal year of 2005. However, because of some high nonrecurring costs, there should be ample evidence over the previous fiscal year to illustrate a much stronger return and EPS for this company. This EPS growth has been extremely positive for this company, as the current P/E ratio of 24.31 and the more important forward P/E ratio of 19.12 are significantly below the industry?s trailing multiple average of 119 (Capital IQ).

While the forward ratio is still higher than industry giants Kimberly Clark or International Paper, there are other more substantial multiples and figures arguing for the case of Cenveo. One of these arguments can be identified after looking at the PEG ratio. Cenveo?s PEG multiple, using growth over the next five years, is substantially lower with a number of 1.28 when compared to Kimberly Clark?s 2.24 or International Paper?s 4.25. In addition Cenveo?s price to sales ratio, enterprise value to revenue ratio, and enterprise value to EBITDA ratio of 0.78, 1.28, and 11.61 respectively for the last twelve months are all lower, signifying value when compared to Kimberly Clark?s 1.89, 2.08, and 9.28 respective numbers. In addition, probably the best attribute for the suggestion of this company can be attested to the amazing ROE number. With a percentage return of close to 490%, it is clear Cenveo is taking advantage of the equity released in terms of helping its company which comes in part from a strong management team. When there are leaders such as Mr. Robert Burton (CEO) and Mr. Sean Sullivan (CFO), the potential for future growth looks favorable with a management team able to make competent decisions.

The ROE handily beats out all other competitors in the industry and most companies in general, and the management team also has a strong return on assets effectiveness of more than 7% which easily beats rivals found with International Paper and large cap stock UPM-Kymmene. Furthermore, Cenveo?s current ratio of 1.6 is also another positive indicator of success as the ratio beats out International Paper?s number of 1.35 and UPM-Kymmene?s respective 1.48. The EBITDA, a cash proxy, for Cenveo also looks quite strong near 170 million over the past twelve months, and while operating cash flow is in the red, the nonrecurring expenses play a large role with such number as more emphasis should be played on the leveraged free cash flow growth amounting to near 40 million dollars over the past twelve months. Thus, after examining the fundamentals, while it may be true that there are other competitors who may have more value attached to their respective price, with a strong management team as illustrated with Cenveo, there is absolutely a strong possibility of upside for this company, regardless the current share price.

However, after looking at the share price, there still may be some negative sentiment when looking at a number near its 52 week high. However, the company, near its 50 and 100 day simple moving average coupled with strong growth to follow the S&P 500 relative to its beta last year allows for strong conviction of a share price rallying in 2007 as history points out a positive year for broad based indexes. Therefore, with a strong profile engaged with a terrific management team allowing for strong fundamentals to occur, I would highly advise researching this company a bit more and making a move to purchase a few shares in the process.

A Financial Analysis of MedcoHealth Solutions Incorporated

2008-03-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

Like many other industries, drug store companies have been doing quite well for the past six months. With stores like Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid all near their respective 52 week highs, there may be some reluctance on the part of investors to commit new capital to these service-sector stocks. Nevertheless, I am firm believer that there is always money and profit to be made, regardless the industry, and I foresee, relative to the drug store business, the company MedcoHealth Solutions (MHS) having the fundamentals and economic support to put capital gains in the banks of shareholders.

As stated on the profile from Yahoo! Finance, MedcoHealth engages in a variety of different services. While only located primarily in the United States, as the baby-boomer generation continues to grow older and becomes more dependent on medical products, there is ample opportunity, especially during times of coming economic slowdown, for profits to remain high relative to the rest of the market. As most of the products and services offered by MedcoHealth are fairly inelastic, as the economy worsens, earnings should not fall in dramatic fashion as the services provided by this company are almost always required, regardless the amount of discretionary income.

When such is the case, earnings do not fall, multiples remain low, and many institutional investors will become overweight on the industries MedcoHealth falls under and send a ripple effect of continued optimism from both the institutional and retail side. In addition after looking at the services provided by MedcoHealth in relation to "plan design, clinical management, pharmacy management, health management, physician services, and Web-based services," because there will never be a decline in the foreseeable future of clients in need of medical services, MedcoHealth will continue to see further share price growth as already indicated with nearly a 150% growth rate over the past four years.

After examining the previous paragraph, many may wonder that other companies in this industry also support such economical sensitive fluctuation patters, and what would make MedcoHealth a better purchase relative to these more well-known companies such as Walgreen or CVS. Looking at MedcoHealth from a historical view, there is strong evidence to support how this company has grown over the past few years. With revenue growth at 7% and 4% over the past two respective fiscal years in chronological order coupled with earnings growth of net income slotted at 25% and 13% during the same time period, MedcoHealth seems to be continuing its strong fundamental growth, supporting the recent run-up in share price over the past few months. Nevertheless, while the recent spike may be a signal for investors to take some profit, the future looks very solid for this company in 2007 as well.

Over the past twelve months the P/E ratio 32, when compared to the industry average of 20, may be considered quite high, and it is possible that this company is overbought. Nevertheless, with MedcoHealth's continued strong earning forecast, the forward looking multiple relative to earnings is closer to 18, below the industry's average. In addition, MedcoHealth's forward multiple is also below industry giants Walgreen's 20 P/E ration and Rite Aid's astonishing 102 ration when examining the next twelve months. Moreover, when looking at some of the more profound multiples, MedcoHealth, over the past twelve months has had a price to sales multiple of 0.41, an enterprise value to revenue ratio of 0.44, and an enterprise value to EBITDA ratio of 11.55 as per Capital IQ. When compared to rivals Walgreen's respective numbers of 0.93, 0.91, and 12.60 and CVS's respective 0.62, 0.74, and 10.14, there is some clear advantage MedcoHealth has, especially in the form of revenue. However, as some may argue, the respective numbers Rite Aid has of 0.19, 0.39, and 10.84 are all below MedcoHealth's, and more superiority should be placed on purchasing shares of the former company. However, it is important to understand that the numbers reported here are trailing, and because Rite Aid is expecting earnings to drop significantly, as a result of the high forward EPS multiple, coupled with MedcoHealth's decreasing P/E ratio of almost 50%, over the next twelve months, if predictions are accurate, there should be more favor placed with MedcoHealth's fundamentals. In addition, the debt to equity ratio for MedcoHealth is astonishing low at a number below 0.20 and below Rite Aid's near 1.5 ration. As such is the case, Rite Aid is responsible for now having a higher enterprise value which will drastically configure the enterprise calculations in disfavor of long term shareholders.

Furthermore, excluding Walgreens, MedcoHealth is the only company out of the other two mentioned to have positive leveraged free cash flow, and also MedcoHealth is the only company in the entire industry to have a positive price to cash flow multiple below 100. While some emphasis may be placed on MedcoHealth's poor ROE and ROA of 7.56%, and 5.5% respectively, both which are below industry averages, if the management team, lead by CEO Mr. David B. Snow, can find a way in improving upon the assets and equity received in terms of more productive use, there is a significant prospective MedcoHealth, relative to share price, skyrockets even further. Thus, after looking at the fundamentals, and comparing these numbers to this company's rivals and industry, there is strong potential in 2007 for MedcoHealth to render some unexpected profit for investors.

Nevertheless, looking at the charts and the more technical side, some negative sentiment may be placed with the stagnant price movement over the past year. With a beta near 0 and a 52 week return of 8.97%, falling short of the S&P 500's phenonomenal 14% return and a current share price trading above the 50 and 200 day moving average, some of the fundamental optimism presented in the previous paragraph may be downgraded. Nevertheless, even at the current price of near 60, I still feel MedcoHealth be a steal for investors, as the fundamentals are the most important indicator in driving the share price for this company. Thus, while it may be wise to begin buy shares a dollar or two cheaper, putting money, even at its current share price, will have amazing potential to be maximized over the course of 2007.

Business Loans - Incorporate Them In Your Business Strategy

2008-03-27T01:47:00.001-07:00

Business is nothing but a rational use of money with an objective to earn more out of it. Therefore, financial planning assumes a significant proportion. You need good financial planning right from the coming into existence of your business entity. Very often, business plans are there to implement but financial constraints hold you back. In such situations, you can rely on business loans.

Financial planning is a continuous activity. You need to assess your business and formulate financial strategies on a regular basis. Budgetary constraints sometimes push you towards business loans. If you use business finance as a tool to help you grow, then you are in game for a lot of positive results. But, do not over rely on business loans. Your liabilities should never exceed your assets. A sound business should always have the capability to meet its liabilities.

Exploring further on business Loans, it can be said that they are meant to supplement your reserves. Suppose that you have a plan to expand and enter into the overseas market. For this, you need more raw material, more human resource, latest equipment and technology, etc., but your surplus and reserves, as they stand, are inadequate to actualise your plans. In such a situation, business loans will prove a great help.

Business loans can be secured or unsecured. To make a good choice, you should have all the knowledge about these types of loans. Their advantages and disadvantages should be seen in the context of your requirements, preferences, financial status and other circumstances. You cannot decide for a type of loan in isolation. If your preference is that you do not want to give security to the lender, then you should apply for unsecured business loans. Again, if the circumstances demand a huge loan then you may have to rely on secured business loans. Anyhow, take a well-informed decision and carry on with your business plans with conviction.

The author is a business writer specializing in finance. and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in business administration and is currently assisting Adverse-Credit-Business-Loans as a finance specialist. For more information please visit at: http://www.adverse-credit-business-loans.co.uk

Should I Incorporate Fundamental Analysis When Trading a System?

2008-03-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

There's a common misconception about "Fundamental Analysis": People tend to think that the market should react in a certain way to news. Example: "Unemployment Rate goes down", which means that the economy is doing better, therefore companies should make more profits and stock prices will move up.

Conclusion: If the unemployment report is positive, the market moves up.

But in reality the markets are driven by greed and fear, and not by supply and demand or anything like this. A report itself is meaningless: It's the traders reaction to the report that moves the market.

Here's a perfect example: On Friday, April 7th 2006 the unemployment rate for March was published. The market expected an unemployment rate of 4.8%, and the numbers came in better than expected:
Only 4.7% (for details see http://biz.yahoo.com/c/ec/200614.html).

That's good news, isn't it? The market should move up, right?
WRONG! On that day the e-mini S&P dropped 20 points. Why?

Well, here are some comments I got from a news-service:
"Not surprisingly, Friday?s equity trade was dictated by the March employment report. More specifically, it was the Treasury market?s reaction to it that set the stage for stocks." ...
"A lack of negative surprise caused the stock market to breathe a sigh of relief."...

"The Treasury market had a very divergent reaction to the data, and it took the stock market down with it. For Treasury traders, the in-line data essentially provided no evidence that the Fed will be inclined to soon end its monetary tightening cycle."

Oups. So the stock traders thought it's good news and the market was moving up, but the treasury trader in the other room thought it's bad data. So treasury instruments were rallying, causing the stock market to drop like a rock. But don't stocks lead the treasuries? Or do treasuries lead stocks? ...

As I am writing these lines another news hits the ticker: Oil prices trading above $69 per barrel. But what does it mean? Should the stock market move up or down? Here's a discussion that I heard this morning:
"As crude oil prices continue to plug higher the debate over what it all really means will begin again. The questions that will be batted back & forth are "Are sky-high oil prices indicative of a coming economic slowdown or looming inflation?"

And more important: How will the Fed react? Will they cease increasing interest rates or even lower the rates again? This would provide a boost for the stock market. Or will traders fear that there's an economic slowdown which might result in lower company earnings? This would move the market down.

As you can see, it's not the news that move the market; it's the reaction of the traders to news that let prices jump up and down.

Now, how should a computer model take these emotions into consideration?

In my opinion there's no way, and I haven't seen any models (incl. artificial intelligence) that is coming somewhat close to this (sometimes really weird) human behavior.

That's why I for one don't incorporate Fundamental Analysis into my trading systems.

Markus Heitkoetter is a 15 year veteran of the markets and the CEO of Rockwell Trading. For more free information and a free eBook "How to make money with trading systems" visit

http://www.rockwelltrading.com and

http://www.futures-trading-systems.net

Incorporate A Disaster Recovery Plan

2008-03-25T02:55:00.000-07:00

Nordural ehf's backup system needed to incorporate a Disaster Recovery plan that would reduce the backup window from ten hours to two-three hours.

A Disaster Recovery Plan is a coordinated activity to enable the recovery of IT/business systems due to a disruption. Disaster Recovery can be achieved by restoring IT/business operations at an alternate location, recovering IT/business operations using alternate equipment, and/or performing some or all of the affected business processes using manual methods.

It was essential that Nordural's backup system incorporate a trustworthy Disaster Recovery plan that would reduce its backup window from ten hours to two-three hours. In addition to this, Nordural wanted a Disaster Recovery plan that restored the company's most critical servers to bare metal restore in less than two hours.

Nordural's decision to select the SecurStore Remote Backup Service highlights the strength and flexibility of managed services.

Remote backup (sometimes also referred to as online backup) is a service that provides users with an online system for backing up and storing computer files. Remote backup service providers are companies that provide a software program and space on a server that their client's data is stored on. The software program will run on a client?s computer and (typically) once a day; compress, encrypt and then send the client's data to the remote backup service providers' servers to be stored.

With SecurStore, Nordural had the assurance that all their requirements would be met - from a fast critical restore, to remote backup at multiple locations, to a simple and effective interface for the IT people at Nordural.

"We chose the SecurStore Remote Backup Service because it gives us all round backup and recovery services for our needs, with 24x7x365 support" said Emil Hilmarsson, IT Manager Nordural. SecurStore also provided Nordural with the option of assigning which data is 'critical; and which is 'important' data by using Long Term Storage with the use of Backup Lifecycle Management system that manages data during all backing up and archiving processes.

Backup Lifecycle Management differentiates data into varying levels of protected data: current critical data, which is stored on-line for fast recovery; and archivable data that may be needed at a later time but is not likely to be accessed in the near future.

Alexander Eir?ksson, President of SecurStore Ltd, a remote data backup specialist. http://www.securstore.com

Incorporated - But Are Your Personal Assets Safe

2008-03-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

Today, I will review a little bit of why incorporating is so important for small business owners, and then tell you five simple steps you can follow to protect your personal assets, even if your business gets sued or goes through bankruptcy.

It makes sense to incorporate for a couple of reasons. First, because it protects you from personal liability, and second, because it offers you some great tax advantages. For today, we're going to just focus on the personal liability part.

When you incorporate, your business becomes like another person. This other person has it's own bank account, it can own things like property, and it can take risks. Even if that "other person" (your business) goes completely bankrupt or gets sued, YOU are safe (assuming you do everything correctly).

This is important because many new businesses fail, but you as the entrepreneur don't want to fail. You want to pick yourself back up and start your NEXT business which will be even more successful. Failure is a necessary way to learn, so we want it to be as painless as possible.

When everything works like it should, then yes, you PERSONALLY are protected. But there are certain situations where your corporate status doesn't help you out, and every business owner should be aware of them!

You see, setting up a company gives you so much protection from liability, that unethical people in the past have tried to take advantage of it. They have created "shell corporations", or businesses just for the purpose of liability protection, to help them get away with various crimes.

Of course, the law had to be modified to weed out these people and make sure they were appropriately prosecuted. But in the process, the requirements for honest small business owners became TOUGHER. Some extra steps are now required to make sure your corporate status stays intact.

By the way, whenever a court decides to waive the corporate protection and actually prosecute the owners behind the company PERSONALLY, they call it "piercing the corporate veil". (Lawyers always like to come up with fancy names for things.)

Following are the top five ways to protect you personal assets then starting a business. Make sure you do these correctly, and you can be sure that even if your business experiences a colossal failure, or gets sued out of existence, at least your personal assets are safe and you can start over.

Never Engage in Fraud or any Criminal Act
This sounds simple, but many small businesses owners unknowingly break the law. Never sell a product you know is defective or doesn't work, misrepresent something in your advertising, forge any signatures, or pull a bait and switch (offer a great deal to get people in the door only to tell them it is out of stock so you can sell a substitute.) Run your business HONESTLY and with INTEGRITY every day, and it will pay off in the long run.
Never Misrepresent Your Corporate Officers or Members
Don't ever lie about who is involved in your company. When it comes time to ask for investors, or get people to support you, you may be tempted to exaggerate about who is actually working with you. If they haven't actually SIGNED your operating agreement, then they aren't your partner.
Make Sure Your Follow All Corporate Formalities
If you are going to claim you are a company, then you'd better act like a company. That means you have to file all important documents and keep them on file (your operating agreement, articles of incorporation, and DBA for example). You also have to keep detailed financial records. In Breaking Free, I provide samples of these documents and show you exactly how to create them yourself. This will literally save you thousands of dollars in legal expense because you won't have to pay a lawyer to create them for you. (Read more below)
Keep Your Business and Personal Assets Separate
The business has to have it's own bank account. The money in that bank account is not YOUR money. It belongs to the business. In fact, if you decide one day come along and take some money out to buy yourself a Hawaiian vacation, that is called embezzlement (a crime)! Many first time business owners (especially if they are the sole owner) don't understand this concept. The money in the company is not theirs. The company is like a separate person, and all assets must be treated as such.
Never Treat the Business' Assets as if They Were Your Own
Don't deposit your personal checks into the corporate account. Don't use company money to finance your personal life and hobbies. Don't lend the company car to your buddy for a weekend excursion. Don't set up a cot in the back of the office and start living there! Again, the business and yourself are two separate people. Treat them accordingly.

With these five basic steps, you will be well on your way to protecting your personal assets in the event your business goes under.

Many successful business people, from Donald Trump to John D. Rockefeller, went through periods of ups and downs in their life. Not every company they bet on was a success. But they managed to survive and lived to fight another day because they where smart enough to INCORPORATE correctly. They followed the above five steps to make sure they wouldn't lose their corporate status in the event of a lawsuit. They made sure that their PERSONAL assets were safe, even if the COMPANY went bankrupt.

Brian Armstrong is the author of Breaking Free, and is an authority on How to Start a Business Learn how to incorporate the easy way and protect your assets in his FREE Online Course Click Now!

Papers Needed To Incorporate A Business In USA

2008-03-21T02:01:00.000-07:00

Incorporating a business means separating the business entity from the owner. A legal entity separate from its owner and authorized to have much number of shareholders is called a corporation. It is a form of business in which the owner has limited liability and the business entity has unlimited life, extending it beyond the life of the owner. Unlike sole proprietorship and partnership it protects the owner from having his private properties at risk if anything goes wrong with the business.

There are three incorporation options available for a business owner:

(a) C ? corporation:
A regular corporation or C-corporation facilitates limited personal liability to the owner and he doesn't use his personal income tax return to pay tax on the profit from the corporation. Rather the corporation itself pays out the cash to the government at the lower rate than what the owners of other forms of businesses pay. Setting up a corporation means a fair amount of paper work. Lots of legal formalities are to be rendered before starting a corporation.

(b) LLC- Limited Liability Company:
Like corporations, LLCs facilitate limited liabilities to the owners but as far as tax payment is concerned, LLCs are more like partnership firms as owners report business income on their personal tax returns. This type of business arrangement does not require as much legal formalities as other forms of business require. This is a reason why it can be a good choice for a new business.

(c) S-Corporation:
An S corporation is a corporation that has elected a special tax status with the IRS (Internal Revenue Services). This tax treatment allows the income of the corporation to be treated like the income of a partnership or sole proprietorship; the income is transferred to the shareholders. Thus, shareholder's individual tax returns report the income or loss generated by an S corporation. Like an LLC, an S-corporation provides all the limited liability of a regular corporation, while the owners are also taxed for business income. But unlike an LLC, S-corporations must first be regular corporations before applying for this unique tax-paying status?and continue following all other corporate regulations. All of this indicates that an S-Corporation business structure requires careful consideration and even expert advice before starting.

In order to qualify for S corporation status, the corporation must be a U.S. corporation with not more than 75 of shareholders. It can have only one class of stock. The shareholders must be individuals, estates or certain qualified trusts, who consent in writing to the S corporation election. The shareholders can not be non-resident aliens.

The exact papers needed to be files to form a corporation depend on the laws of the state of incorporation. But the most common and demanded paper is the Article of Incorporation.

(1) Article of Incorporation:
The Article of Incorporation state the primary rules that governs the management of a corporation .A corporation becomes active on the date that the applicable governmental office in the state of incorporation accepts the Article for filing. Filing an Article of Corporation may cost between USD 80 to 800.

(2) Proof of working officers:
Proof to show that the company is run by officers having positions of President, Vice-President and Secretary, is required.

(3) Fictitious Business Name Statement:
Fictitious Business name statement is required to be files. This is also known as DBA which is a short form of "Doing Business As". The governments rule to file DBA is based on the reason that in case of any dispute, legal problems it is easy to keep track of companies by the government authorities. But it also helps to have other licenses and permits like opening a business checking account. This is to be filed to the county clerk of the county where the incorporation is to be started.

It is wise to have a registered agent who provides a registered address for the receipt of legal papers. A registered agent also serves as a local contact for the Secretary of State and other government agencies. The registered agent receives notice of any suits, tax notices, etc. and then forwards them to the corporation. However one can become his own registered agent as long as his address is within the state in which the incorporation is to be established. Additionally, there are various sites which help incorporating online without having an attorney

Why Incorporate Your Business?

2008-03-21T01:59:00.000-07:00

If you're like many small business owners, right now you're operating as a sole proprietorship. That's probably not because you've chosen to, but because you've never considered your business as being large or sophisticated enough to need to incorporate in any one of the forms readily available to you ? or maybe you've never thought about it at all. If you're lucky, you'll never have to pay the price for putting off that crucial next step? but that's a very dangerous ?if.?

Sole Proprietors Are Rolling The Dice

Anyone who operates a business, alone or with others, may incorporate. Under the right circumstances, the owner of any size business can benefit.

In today's competitive and unfortunately litigious business climate, you can't afford to throw the dice with your most valuable asset. Your exposure is greater than you may think, both personally and professionally.

This is by far the biggest reason to incorporate or form an LLC. It makes no sense to be a sole proprietorship unless you have no assets or future assets coming. Unfortunately many CPAs advise their clients not to incorporate until they reach a certain profit level. Overall we strongly disagree with this advice because getting sued is so very costly, regardless of whether they win or lose the case. If you are sued as a sole proprietorship, you could lose your personal assets. How?

As a sole proprietor, you personally have unlimited liability if your business is sued.

Insurance Isn't A Fool-Proof Safety Net

Some people consider insurance to be the solution. Insurance will provide some level of protection, but worst case, that protection may be only as good as the legal representation you can afford. True, you can get Errors and Omissions (or ?E&O), business liability, and even officers' and directors' insurance, and a good policy should provide some protection. But NONE of those will help you with protecting the corporate veil. In fact, there is NO insurance policy in existence that can do that.

If you have an insurance claim of $10,000 your insurance company will usually pay it. However, if you have a claim for $900,000, you can expect a visit from your insurance company's attorney. Why? To find a loophole in your policy so they don't have to cover you. And of course, even if they do cover you, your rates will skyrocket ? if your policy isn't cancelled!

Consider these insurance statistics:

? In 1999, 40 insurance companies defaulted and are now out of business.

? By the year 2000, 56 more companies defaulted.

? In fact, according to Standard & Poor, 456 insurers are now considered ? at risk .? Could one of them be yours?

Even those that have stayed in business?

? Have been forced to raise their rates dramatically.

? Other industries such as the construction industry are seeing liability increases from a low of 15% to a high of 100% in a single year. (Source: McGraw Hill)

? In one case, a group home saw their insurance increase from $3,500 to an incredible $35,000 in a single year .

What would that rate hike do to your company?

And here's another problem. If you haven't recently applied for a home loan, a second, or financing for a car, you may not be aware of how times have changed. Five years ago, financial forms asked a very important question: ?Do you have any judgments against you?? That meant, ?Have you been sued, lost the suit, and had a judgment levied against you??

But financial institutions have gotten smarter. They now use a very formalized system to rate levels of risk for loan applicants. One result of that system is that loan application forms today ask a very different question: ?Are you currently involved in a lawsuit?? That means that anyone can try to sue you, for any reason ? frivolous or not ? and if you're in the middle of applying for a new home or car loan you're rated as a much higher risk. And that translates to a lot of money out of your pocket!

Are you willing to forego that dream home, that new car, because of some irresponsible, irrelevant lawsuit? You may not even be able to lease office space. Imagine what that could do to your business.

For more information pertaining to incorporating your business or filing for an LLC, please visit us at http://nvinc.com

Why Incorporate in California?

2008-03-20T01:47:00.000-07:00

Incorporating in California is one of the best ways to protect personal assets from creditors and litigators. By operating a business as an incorporated entity in California, the risk of entangling in lawsuits can be diminished. The chances for having an IRS audit can be lowered. Business operating losses may also be deducted.

The primary advantage of forming a corporation in California is personal liability protection. Incorporation in California helps to separate personal assets from that of the business. There is the possibility of law suits against a California Corporation. If so, there are legal provisions and UCC codes to protect owners, shareholders, directors and employees from personal liability. In a sole proprietorship or general partnership, the owners are directly responsible for the debts and obligations of the company. The California Corporation has a separate legal entity from its owners. So if the company has a debt or claim from a law suit, the California Corporation is responsible for it, not the owner.

Another advantage of incorporation is easily transferable ownership, as long as it does not conflict with securities law. A corporation in California works as an independent body, and continues its operations after the owner's demise. The death of an owner or the desire of the owner to sell his interest will be incorporated by the California Corporation.

Tax reduction is possible under certain circumstances. Corporations in California are eligible for more tax deductions than businesses that are not incorporated. An exemption from annual minimum franchise tax is available for newly incorporated or qualified corporations during their first year of business. When compared to the self-employed, the audit rate for Corporations in California is also much lower.

California is corporate-friendly and promotes all kinds of businesses. The conditions in other states are not as strong or favorable to business owners and corporate officers as in California.

California Corporations provides detailed information on California Corporations, California Department Of Corporations, California Corporation Commissions, California Corporation Searches and more. California Corporations is affiliated with Delaware Division Of Corporations

Why Incorporate? What Every Business Owner Should Know

2008-03-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

Business has never been better. Word of mouth finally seems to be spreading, every seat in the restaurant is full, you?ve even hired extra staff. So, what now?

If you?re like a lot of small business owners, you?ve been wondering about the benefits of incorporating. But is it really necessary? While things may be going smoothly now, the main reason most people form a legal business entity is to safeguard their personal assets. When you incorporate your business, or form a Limited Liability Company (LLC), you're free to conduct your business without worrying that you might lose your home, car, or personal savings because of a business liability. This is, in fact, one of the best moves you can make to protect your personal property when you own your own business.

Let?s take a closer look at all the benefits of incorporating or forming an LLC:

? Peace of Mind. As I mentioned above, if you operate as a sole proprietorship or general partnership, you're personally responsible for any business debts or lawsuits against your business. Almost anything you own can be at risk! But owners of corporations maintain separate business and personal identities. So if you incorporate your business, your personal assets are protected from any liability incurred.

? Uncle Sam. Corporations are taxed at a lower rate than you are. And when you're incorporated or an LLC, expenses like insurance or travel and entertainment, both for you and your employees, can be tax deductible as business expenses.

? The Name Game. Put simply, an Inc. or LLC after your company name implies a real legitimacy to your business that will impress potential customers, vendors and lenders. It essentially says you're for real, you're committed, and you should command respect. It?s truly one of the big benefits of incorporating.

? Catch the Eye of Investors. When you incorporate your business, you?ll be allowed to attract investors through sale of stock. And investors will feel much more comfortable if they're protected from any liability, too.

? Life Expectancy. Corporations have a business life that extends beyond an owner, principal or partner. So, another of the benefits of incorporating is that it wards off any legal entanglements or even termination of the business in the event of long-term disability or death.

? Trouble-free Transfer. Incorporation allows you to transfer ownership through simple sale of stock.

? Shared Responsibility. While you or a partner may be the ones making the day-to-day decisions, your board of directors (a requirement when you incorporate your business) allows other major investors to review the business periodically and buy into decisions. This lessens the danger of any one or two individuals making a bad decision that could seriously hurt the business.

Still asking, ?Why incorporate?? Well, these are just a few of the benefits of incorporating. Of course, not all that glitters is gold. There may be some drawbacks, too. If you?re still undecided, talk to an attorney, accountant or an online incorporation firm. They can answer your questions and, if you decide to give it a whirl, they can also assist you in setting up your LLC or corporation for a pretty reasonable price.

Samantha Fishman is a web-based investor and entrepreneur. She operates dozens of sites and has an MBA in Technology Management

At What Point In Your Business Should You Incorporate?

2008-03-19T02:51:00.001-07:00

If you have been doing business, and are wondering about when you should become incorporated, you should know that at any time, you can make your business official. Perhaps you are a representative for a company, and have been selling their products? Maybe you have a lawn mowing service and are worried about doing business and being incorporated? There is no special time in the business world that you should become a legal business. However, if you see that your business is taking off, and you are wanting to become a LLC or incorporated, there is no reason to put it off.

Becoming a legal business, and having a license to do business in the state you are operating in makes total sense. Especially if your business has really taken off. Being incorporated can protect you and your personal assets. If your business were to be sued, or go into debt, having that LLC at the end of your name would definitely pay off.

With the many different entities to choose from when you become incorporated, you will have some decisions to make. All of the entities offer personal protection to the owners except for one, and that is DBA, also known as Doing Business As. This entity requires that the owners are personally held responsible for all legal matters, as well as debt. However, the other entities all off coverage for the owners, or members of the business.

Whether you are just starting out in business, or have been operating under your personal name for a while, it is never too late to become incorporated. Just be sure that you understand the entities and choose the one that is best for you and your business. If you need some help choosing and understanding the entities, a business attorney will be able to help you with those.

Find out more about Business Incorporation

Who Can Become A LLC, Or Incorporated?

2008-03-18T02:16:00.001-07:00

If you are thinking about starting a business, and are wondering just who qualifies for LLC, or becoming incorporated, you will be glad to know that anyone can. Becoming incorporated or a LLC definitely has its advantages over operating in your own personal name, and doing business without a business license.

Are you an Independent Contractor that completes projects and does work for others? If so, you may want to look at becoming incorporated, or a LLC. While the entities that you can choose from are all a little different, most of them give you some protection when you make your business a legal one. All of the different entities except for one will protect your personal money as well as assets. Which is great in the event that the business were to go bankrupt, or to be sued. No one ever wants either of these things to happen. However, being prepared in the best way is ideal when you are working for others.

Yes, it is true, anyone can become a LLC, or incorporated. Depending mostly on the level of protection that you are looking for, for yourself and your company you may choose one over the other. Here are some good questions to ask yourself: Will you have a partner? Do you want to separate your business finances from your personal finances? By answering these simple questions, you should be able to choose the type of entity that you are looking for.

How do you go about becoming an LLC or incorporated? It is truly very easy. You can find all of the paperwork online that you will need for either. Depending on which state you are doing business in, you will need to make sure that the name that you want for your company is not taken, and the state will also tell you how much it will cost to you. If you are not looking to do it all yourself, by hiring a business lawyer, he can sit you down, walk you through it, and do all of the paperwork for you.

Find out more about Becoming a LLC or Incorporated

The Creativity Incorporated In Preschool Teaching

2008-03-18T02:15:00.001-07:00

For children under the age of five ? and prior to the start of kindergarten ? there is the option of preschool programs. Preschool may sometimes be offered through the public school system but most often preschool programs are offered through private or religious institutions. The benefits of preschool teaching are numerous; and the ways in which such lessons can be infused with creativity are just as numerous.

The goals of a preschool program are to foster a love of learning and prepare young children for their future school experience; the way that this is accomplished is through creative preschool teaching. Young children of this age are receptive to a variety of information; their brains eagerly absorb all they see, hear, and touch. Subsequently, preschoolers learn best through play-based programs. Through play, children practice social skills such as respecting each other, working together, and taking turns, as well as taking in the fundamental lessons without being aware of doing so.

Creative preschool teaching means successfully and effectively incorporating core lessons into play-based curriculum. Such preschool teaching may include ball play that promotes hand-eye coordination, physical games that sharpen gross motor skills, card games that practice memory retention, writing games that hone fine motor skills, and books and storytelling to further a love for reading and language. The role of the preschool teacher in this capacity is that of facilitator; to creatively present fundamentals in a way that engages students.

Of course, preschool teaching in this modern time often means the integration of computer-based lessons into the classroom environment. Computer learning games spark the interest of children with the use of color, sound, and interactive play.

Preschool teaching requires patience, creativity, energy, and a love of educating children. It requires an ability to take ordinary lessons and make them extraordinary; to take core learning and make it fun; and to make school a place of joy and achievement. Ultimately, the success of preschool teaching will be reflected in a child?s lifelong love of school and learning.

For easy to understand, in depth information about preschool teaching visit our ezGuide 2 Preschool

Should You Incorporate Your Business?

2008-03-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

More than likely, at some point you are going to be asking yourself whether or not you should incorporate your business. Many people start out as sole proprietors and then incorporate later. However, there are a variety of pros and cons in deciding to incorporate. Before you take the big step to incorporate, it is important that you fully explore and understand the pros and cons of this decision so you make the best choice for you and your business.

There are a variety of great advantages to incorporating, and probably the biggest one is limited liability. As a sole proprietor, anyone who sues your company is essentially suing you as a person, and your personal assets may be at risk. Once you incorporate, you are only liable for the amount that you have actually invested into the company. This is a great way to protect yourself and your assets as well.

There are various other advantages of incorporating as well. Once you become a corporation you will be eligible for small business tax deductions. You may also see an increase in business once you incorporate as well. Incorporating also opens the door for the continuance of your company, instead of it ending with you.

While there are many great advantages, there are some disadvantages to incorporating as well. One very big disadvantage of incorporating is that it can take a good deal of money to do so. Some people find that the cost is prohibitive and decide to continue on as a sole proprietor. There is also a great deal more paperwork to deal with after you incorporate as well, and this can make things a bit hectic for the small business owner. You will also be required to fill out more tax forms every year and will have to file both for yourself and your business. At times, this can lead to a hike in your accounting fees, since many people need the help of an accountant to deal with business taxes.

Although there are disadvantages and advantages, usually the decision will depend on your unique situation. If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, then you may benefit from incorporating. Take your time and work through the pros and cons and make sure that you understand the incorporation process and how it can help or hurt your business. Once you have done your research on the topic, then you can make an decision for your individual business.

Learn more about Minnesota Business Law at Minnesota lawyer

Your Business Is Incorporated - But Are Your Personal Assets Safe?

2008-03-17T03:06:00.000-07:00

Many small business owners understand the benefit of incorporating, but they don't realize how easy it is to lose their "corporate status" if they get sued or end up in bankruptcy. This is dangerous because then the court can come after their PERSONAL assets (like their house, car, savings, etc)!

Today, I will review a little bit of why incorporating is so important for small business owners, and then tell you five simple steps you can follow to protect your personal assets, even if your business gets sued or goes through bankruptcy.

It makes sense to incorporate for a couple of reasons. First, because it protects you from personal liability, and second, because it offers you some great tax advantages. For today, we're going to just focus on the personal liability part.

When you incorporate, your business becomes like another person. This other person has it's own bank account, it can own things like property, and it can take risks. Even if that "other person" (your business) goes completely bankrupt or gets sued, YOU are safe (assuming you do everything correctly).

This is important because many new businesses fail, but you as the entrepreneur don't want to fail. You want to pick yourself back up and start your NEXT business which will be even more successful. Failure is a necessary way to learn, so we want it to be as painless as possible.

When everything works like it should, then yes, you PERSONALLY are protected. But there are certain situations where your corporate status doesn't help you out, and every business owner should be aware of them!

You see, setting up a company gives you so much protection from liability, that unethical people in the past have tried to take advantage of it. They have created "shell corporations", or businesses just for the purpose of liability protection, to help them get away with various crimes.

Of course, the law had to be modified to weed out these people and make sure they were appropriately prosecuted. But in the process, the requirements for honest small business owners became TOUGHER. Some extra steps are now required to make sure your corporate status stays intact.

By the way, whenever a court decides to waive the corporate protection and actually prosecute the owners behind the company PERSONALLY, they call it "piercing the corporate veil". (Lawyers always like to come up with fancy names for things.)

Following are the top five ways to protect you personal assets then starting a business. Make sure you do these correctly, and you can be sure that even if your business experiences a colossal failure, or gets sued out of existence, at least your personal assets are safe and you can start over.

1. Never Engage in Fraud or any Criminal Act

This sounds simple, but many small businesses owners unknowingly break the law. Never sell a product you know is defective or doesn't work, misrepresent something in your advertising, forge any signatures, or pull a bait and switch (offer a great deal to get people in the door only to tell them it is out of stock so you can sell a substitute.) Run your business HONESTLY and with INTEGRITY every day, and it will pay off in the long run.

2. Never Misrepresent Your Corporate Officers or Members

Don't ever lie about who is involved in your company. When it comes time to ask for investors, or get people to support you, you may be templed to exaggerate about who is actually working with you. If they haven't actually SIGNED your operating agreement, then they aren't your partner.

3. Make Sure Your Follow All Corporate Formalities

If you are going to claim you are a company, then you'd better act like a company. That means you have to file all important documents and keep them on file (your operating agreement, articles of incorporation, and DBA for example). You also have to keep detailed financial records. In Breaking Free, I provide samples of these documents and show you exactly how to create them yourself. This will literally save you thousands of dollars in legal expense because you won't have to pay a lawyer to create them for you. (Read more below)

4. Keep Your Business and Personal Assets Separate

The business has to have it's own bank account. The money in that bank account is not YOUR money. It belongs to the business. In fact, if you decide one day come along and take some money out to buy yourself a Hawaiian vacation, that is called embezzlement (a crime)! Many first time business owners (especially if they are the sole owner) don't understand this concept. The money in the company is not theirs. The company is like a separate person, and all assets must be treated as such.

5. Never Treat the Business' Assets as if They Were Your Own

Don't deposit your personal checks into the corporate account. Don't use company money to finance your personal life and hobbies. Don't lend the company car to your buddy for a weekend excursion. Don't set up a cot in the back of the office and start living there! Again, the business and yourself are two separate people. Treat them accordingly.

With these five basic steps, you will be well on your way to protecting your personal assets in the event your business goes under.

Many successful business people, from Donald Trump to John D. Rockefeller, went through periods of ups and downs in their life. Not every company they bet on was a success. But they managed to survive and lived to fight another day because they where smart enough to INCORPORATE correctly. They followed the above five steps to make sure they wouldn't lose their corporate status in the event of a lawsuit. They made sure that their PERSONAL assets were safe, even if the COMPANY went bankrupt.

Brian Armstrong is the author of Breaking Free, and is an authority on How to Start a Business. Learn how to incorporate the easy way and protect your assets in our FREE Online Course. Click Now!

How To Incorporate New Trends Into Your Home

2008-03-13T02:56:00.000-07:00

Another year has gone. The industry trade shows are over, and the home improvement shows are starting. Every new year introduces new design trends, and 2007 is no different.

This year has truly introduces some innovative ideas that combine Oriental and retro styles, effervescent colors, and patterns that are guaranteed to create a strong emotional impact on anyone who enters the room. Forget buying a $5 000 chair to impress your boss. This year?s theme is about renewing the ?hearth and home? feeling, without actually going back and bringing forward the designs, colors, and motifs of our childhood.

The newest trend is DIY, Do It Yourself. Hand made furniture, accessories, and walls are the ?new? sophistication. This year?s decorator does not need to invest in a professional designer to create the room right.

Floral art is important, but it needs to stray away from the bold prints of the English Country style and take on a more Oriental look, full of earth and natural colors, muted pastels, and Oriental shapes or lines.

DYI home decorators need to avoid the temptation of going overboard and create a tropical or Feng Shui design. The new trends can blend some of these factors, but they should never dominate. The focus is on furniture ? not art, walls, or lighting.

The most important decorating skill that DYI decorators need to develop is the ability to mineralize. Home decorators who grab this year?s theme and overpower a room, or home, with the one design will have a home that is ?out of style? within a year.

The best way to incorporate themes into a home is to choose those elements that speak to your emotions and lifestyle needs. Then, add a few pieces or wall treatments. This lets home designers update their home each year, keeping their home up to date.

Home decorating themes build on each other, year after year. Remember the deep coppers and burnished gold tones from 2005. Take these elements and dry brush a deep plumb over them, or sponge a rich gold brown fabric paint to the trim on drapes, furniture, or lampshades, and you?ve updated your accents and artwork to match the new design.

One way the home owner can bring the 2007 trend to their home is by adding grasscloth to walls, instead of wall paper. This heavy weave type of wallpaper is not for everyone. It looks like colored grass, woven and pasted to wall paper. This means that seams will remain very visible. The lines can overpower a room, so they are best for a smaller area.

If this is too much, then adding wallpaper with a silk sheen and mottled pin stripe, will bring the 2007 theme to a room, without creating a home decorating blunder that is difficult to remove. One way to prevent this is by finding a short wall, and use a single strip to turn the wall segment into a piece of art. This can be done on a full size wall, dividing the wall into strips. However, before doing this, make sure you learn the technique well.

One last tip, never install the ?Real McCoy?, hand painted silk panel wallpaper. Do not even use the local wall paper company. Phone around and ask for someone who has already installed silk wallpaper. Silk wallpaper is totally unforgiving. It is not sold in rolls but panels. If one panel is ruined, then the whole wall needs to be replaced, at a cost of $1 ? 7 000.00.

However, if you wait until March, the market will release paper wallpaper that mimics the Oriental hand painted, or embroidered, designs.

Patricia Taylor advises on home furnishings and decor from her web site at http://www.exteriorshuttershere.com She invites you to get her FREE home decorating guide here http://www.fireplacescreenshere.com

Why Incorporate your Business in Nevada

2008-03-12T02:49:00.000-07:00

Once you've decided to incorporate, the question becomes, "Where?" For many, the best choice is Nevada . Why?

The corporate veil in Nevada has only been pierced twice in the last 29 years, and both cases involved outright fraud.

In fact, there were other Nevada cases where the corporation did not do resolutions, minutes and meetings, they had thinly capitalized the company, commingled funds - and still Nevada protected the corporate veil! Nevada is a pro-business state, meaning they strongly protect the business owners.

"But My Business Is Halfway Across The Country..."

You may be wondering how this applies to your business when your business operations are NOT in Nevada . The answer is that you don't have to.

Here is how it works: First, incorporate your business in Nevada (in whatever form of corporation or LLC you determine to be best for you.) This makes Nevada your domicile. Then register your new corporation (this is called "foreign registration") in your state of business.

If your company is sued it will most likely be in your home state. If the plaintiff (the person suing you) wants to go beyond the corporation (or LLC) and after you personally, the case will most likely go back to the state of domicile, which is in this case Nevada - where you get the most protection.

However, if you incorporate in a weaker state (without Nevada 's protection) and your veil is pierced, you are right back where you did not want to be. You will be held personally liable. You might lose the lawsuit - and lose your personal assets.

The Best Investment You Can Make

The next important question is how much will does it cost to incorporate in Nevada first, versus incorporating in your home state? Without being dismissive, the answer is that you can't afford not to.

You've put in a lot of hours, blood, sweat and tears to develop your business into your major asset and a significant part of your net worth, and no doubt will continue to do so. If you are like most successful people you probably work 10, 12, 14 hours per day. Your goal is to protect all your hard work and the asset you are developing.

It will cost you $895 to incorporate in Nevada first, a $500 Nevada fee for foreign registration (plus whatever your home state charges for registration) and only $400 annually for Nevada renewal. Does that sound like too much money to protect not only the most important asset you have for you and your family, but also the wellbeing of all the employees, contractors, and clients that depend on you? I would think that if it does, not only are you shortsightedly exposing yourself, but that you do not fully revere the contribution you make to the lives of those around you.

Nevada Corporate Planners has set up over 4,300 business entities in Nevada , providing them with a barrier that protects them from devastating legal repercussions. And just in case you think this risk seems overblown, consider this:

? In 1990 there were 655,191 lawyers in this country.

? Today, just fourteen years later, there are currently 1,000,440 lawyers in this country. And don't kid yourself. They're not sitting on their hands.

For more information regarding Incorporating your business in Nevada or incorporating in all 50 states, please visit our site at http://nvinc.com

Incorporate New Appliances Into Your Bathroom Remodeling Project

2008-03-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

How often, when you visit the bathroom, are you imagining, planning or mentally measuring for d?cor changes, improvements and new fittings? Home magazines are full of bathroom renovation ideas that the do-it-yourself homeowner can accomplish over the weekend, although more ambitious projects relating to new plumbing or electrical wiring usually require the assistance of a professional. Whatever the scope of the renovation project, most people are looking for something unusual and extraordinary that their neighbours will not already have. We often assume that this is difficult to achieve in the bathroom, probably the most functional and generic part of the home. However, with a few original remodeling ideas you can produce an extraordinary effect and in a bathroom that resembles your own personal spa and which will be the envy of your friends and neighbours.

There are a variety of modern inventions that can be incorporated into your perfect bathroom, but perhaps the most brilliant is the heated floor. Imagine stepping out of relaxing hot bath or shower on a chilly winter evening, and finding warm tiles under your feet instead of stone cold ones. This is now possible with electric floor heating technology. If you are considering replacing your bathroom floor why not consider adding this luxurious feature, and for a very reasonable cost you can heat your floor to a comfortable temperature that you control.

If the heated floor is the most brilliant development in bathroom design, the most unusual has to be the chromatherapy tub. Holistic healers have long believed that color can have a huge impact on a person?s psyche and this colorful bathtub is aimed at translating this effect onto the human body. The suggestion is that certain colors placed close to the body can actually penetrate the skin, causing alterations in physiology and healing illness and regenerating the cells of the body. Some vendors, in addition to selling chromatherapy bathtubs, are offering LED light ports which produce a heightened effect. If you are considering including a chromatherapy bath in your new bathroom design it is safe to say you will probably be the first in your neighborhood to embrace this technology.

There are many other, more conventional, bathroom remodeling ideas that will nevertheless add greatly to the luxury of your home. These include the installation of a multiple water jet body spa, to reward yourself with an invigorating massage in the shower, or a simple steam shower which is ideal for relaxing after a stressful day at the office. The options available to you when remodeling your bathroom are no longer restricted to a standard shower and bathtub; you can really let your imagination run wild on what you would like to see in your ideal bathroom and most of these possibilities are available within a reasonable budget.

Focusing on latest news in cabinets, Jack Blacksmith is writing primarily for http://www.kitchencabinetstips.com . His contributions on kitchen remodeling can be found on http://www.kitchencabinetstips.com/remodeling.html

14 Steps You Can Take To Prevent Identity Theft

2008-03-11T01:16:00.000-07:00

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, known commonly as FACTA, was put into law in the United States to help to protect consumers from identity theft and to help in its prevention. FACTA ensures that all citizens are treated fairly when they apply for a mortgage or other form of credit and it entitles them to a free annual credit report to verify its accuracy.

Becoming a major epidemic, Identity Theft occurs when a criminal uses another person's personal information to take on that person's identity. Identity theft includes the misuse of a Social Security number, credit cards, mail fraud, scam, schemes, frauds, or any other form of misuse or abuse of a victim?s identity.

There is no guarantee that you will never be a victim; however, there are steps you can take to minimize your risk. Here is a list of 14 steps you can take to prevent or at least minimize its occurrence:

1. Manage your personal information cautiously and with a new awareness that identity theft can occur anytime anywhere and when you least expect it.

2. Ask about security procedures in your workplace, doctor's office, or other business or organization that routinely collects relevant and personal identifying information as part of doing business or providing a service. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that it is handled securely. Inquire about their disposal procedures and if your information will be shared with anyone else (namely third parties such as mailing list companies, marketing and survey companies, etc.).

3. Instead of giving your Social Security Number, inquire if you can use other types of identification. Use your Social Security Number with caution and only when absolutely necessary.

"Your Chances of becoming victimized by some form of identity theft is one in ten," according to the Federal Trade Commission.

4. If you find that you have been victimized, immediately file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint helps the FTC learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having. This knowledge helps them to assist you better.

5. Carry only the identification and the number of credit and debit cards that you will actually use. Leave extra cards in a safe place at home, in a safety deposit box, or any other secured location.

6. Avoid giving out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on the internet unless you are absolutely sure you know and can trust with whom you are communicating. Caution: Before you share personal information, be sure you are dealing with a legitimate business or organization. (If you are unsure about an online communication, check the organization?s website by typing its URL in the address line. Most large companies post alerts on their sites when they are aware of a scam when their name is used improperly.)

Identity thieves usually pose as representatives of banks, lotteries, sweepstakes, internet service providers, or some other officially-sounding-entity. They will use any means possible to try to get you to reveal your valuable information.

7. Call the Customer Service Department of companies or organizations with whom you do business using the number listed on your account statement or in the telephone book.

8. Do not place passwords on your credit card, bank, or telephone accounts.

9. When choosing a password, avoid using obvious information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, a series of consecutive numbers, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number or your phone number.

10. Pay attention to your billing cycles. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has gotten their hands on it.

"9.9 million people were victims of identity theft in 2002", according to the Federal Trade Commission. Don't wait until it happens to you.

11. Be wary of promotional scams or phony offers to get you to give them your personal information such as lottery and sweepstakes? that you have never entered and ones asking for an "administration" fee.

12. If your job requires you to suit up in special clothing at work, never leave your purse or wallet in your personal clothes. Always keep them in a safe and secured place.

13. When reordering checks, pick them up at the bank instead of having them sent to your mailbox.

14. Obtain a current credit report by contacting any of these major credit bureaus:

Equifax: P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
For Fraud Alerts, call: 800-525-6285

Experian: P.O. Box 2002 Allen TX 75013
For Fraud Alerts, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

Trans Union: P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022
For Fraud Alerts, call: 800-680-7289

Known as The Master Blog Builder, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, is in the business of helping small business owners and non-profit organizations improve their customer relationship marketing. Often he comes across cases that are red flags calling identity thieves to come in. Hence, he started the "Protecting Your Identity" blog. Contact him at: http://www.MasterBlogBuilder.com

Identity Theft - How to Cope With It

2008-03-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

I receive a demand for overdue payments on a credit card I never had. What does it mean? It could mean identity theft. Someone somewhere has been using my identity to run up bills. Identity theft would have a considerable negative influence on my credit score and at the same time, creditors would be demanding payment for debts I have not incurred. What would I do if I become a victim of identity theft?

What I Would Do if It Happens to Me The moment I realize I am a victim of identity theft, I would act fast to try to minimize the damage:

Notify Credit Bureaus - I would immediately inform the fraud units of one of the three credit bureaus - Experian (formerly TRW), Texas (www.experian.com), Equifax, Atlanta (www.equifax.com), and TransUnion, California (www.transunion.com). On notifying one, they will automatically inform the other two. I would report that I am a victim of identity theft and that another person is using my identity information to obtain credit fraudulently in my name.

Make a Crime Report - I would report the crime to my local police department. If the frauds have occurred in areas other than where I live, I would inform the police of those areas too. I would ensure the fraud accounts are listed in the police report, and keep a copy of this 'Identity Theft Report'.

Federal Trade Commission - I can report the fraud to the FTC on its online identity theft complaint form (www.consumer.gov/idtheft ). FTC shares all such information with investigators who are fighting identity theft nationwide.

I still need to sort out the problems of:

* New credit accounts opened by the impostor

* My existing credit/debit accounts

* Debt collectors, trying to collect fraudulent bills

There are many similar problems to sort out and cope with.

Do you know how scamsters use personal information for identity theft? Let us how, in the next article of this series.

Jon Sterling tries to help you overcome Identity Theft problems through informative articles to help you reach your personal financial goals

A Financial Analysis of Cowen Group Incorporated

2008-03-10T02:54:00.000-07:00

As far as IPOs go, any financial analyst will tell you, as an investor, that investment banks, or other financial companies will be your best bet for higher capital gains. When examining the services that investment bank, Cowen Group Incorporated (COWN) can provide as a newly publicly traded company, the evidence presented prima facie seems to acquiesce with the prevailing sentiment. After looking at the fundamental and technical analysis of this company coupled with the ideology of investing with newly established financial corporations, as an investor, you will come to understand the multitude of benefits associated with purchasing shares early in such an industry.

As reported in one of my other articles regarding investment bank IPOs, after examining 32 random investment banking IPOs, only four or 12% of these companies which have been in the market for more than one year had posted capital losses and only marginal ones relative to other IPOs. Furthermore, including all the IPOs in the market regardless of file date, only seven out of the 32 have seen any kind of capital loss regardless of any kind of fundamental or technical analysis. Juxtaposing such data to companies in industries such as technology or healthcare, and investors will find out how great a difference there is between the financial industry and the rest of the market. When examining Cowen, I absolutely can spot notable indicators to support such reasoning which will lead to a very favorable upward potential for investors of this company. In addition, because 2007 has the possibility for interest rate cuts which is favorable to investment banks and has historical data to support an upward market movement, next year has the possibility to become a tremendously optimistic one in terms of share price for Cowen.

When looking at the limited fundamentals that Cowen provides, an investor should immediately spot the growing revenue associated with this company. Over the past year, while revenue margins are not terribly shocking, the modest increase, coupled with lower revenue costs, has situated a promising margin growth relative to gross profit. While Cowen?s EBIT has decreased on a year to year basis, such is a result of becoming publicly traded and having the financing portion of its cash flow statement under fire because of the initial costs associated when a company trades publicly. Nevertheless, more importantly, operating income has rose in dramatic fashion, and operating margins in general have grown nearly 10% over the past trailing twelve months. In addition, like many other investment banks, Cowen supports a negative enterprise value which means that it provides a tremendously higher number relative to total cash when juxtaposed to total debt which, when added to the market value of this company, yields a negative output. Furthermore, the debt Cowen has incurred can continued to be exploited in a positive manner as the current ratio Cowen provided of about 5 is not only significantly lower relative to bulge bracket companies such as Merrill Lynch, but exemplifies that Cowen has a lot of potential to incur more liabilities to help finance further growth without the added expenses of not having enough assets to cover its debt. Thus, the potential looks extremely bright for this company in this regard if liquidation is a priority. In addition, the PEG remains relatively strong, and coupled with an extremely valuable enterprise value to revenue number and price to sales number, this company has the possibility to perform extremely well. Such is said because the low numbers recorded signifies both value juxtaposed to the rest of the industry and the potential for the share price to grow to further levels, disregarding its six month high: a situation very few companies can boast about. Its true the forward P/E ratio is a bit high relative to what it is currently, but such was made on the basis of a smaller 52 week expectation, and since Cowen is a new firm, a slightly higher multiple is to be expected. Thus, the limited fundamentals that are provided help the reasoning that investing in this company, especially since it is an investment banking IPO, will provide solid capital gains for investors for at least another five years.

As this company has only recently been put on the public market, no significant technical analysis can be made to signify upward potential. As volume (excluding the opening day) has been relatively stable throughout the five month duration, the only indicator I can use is the slow upward trend that has occurred when looking at a 50 day price average. If such continues with the favorable conditions in 2007, such evidence should be enough to connate a year rally. Therefore, while technical analysis is limited for a company which has recently been trading publicly, because of the surprising strong fundamentals and the positive economic conditions supportive in 2007, investors need to look closely at Cowen and think about purchasing some shares before this company starts its proposed rally.

A Financial Analysis of WESCO International Incorporated

2008-03-10T02:52:00.000-07:00

After a tremendous rally in terms of share price over the past few years and a recent initiation to outperform the market from Wachovia, WESCO International (WCC) has sparked many investors? interests in the form of potential capital gains. While the stock price, after such a rally, may seem high and overbought to many investors, after examining both the charts and fundamentals of WESCO, I believe there is still much optimism to be regarded upon when balancing your options of buying or not.

Located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, WESCO International, part of the electronics wholesale industry and service sector, provides ?electrical supplies, such as wiring devices, fuses, and terminals? as well as ?industrial supplies, including tools and testers, personal protection, and consumables (Yahoo! Finance).? While basic in nature, all such products are heavily required for everyday activities, regardless of complexity, and barring a strong innovated revolution in such an industry, the supplies WESCO produces will continue to have a strong importance for its consumers. Saying this, many investors may argue that a multiple of companies supply the same products, and those same competitors even have stronger fundamentals in some cases. While such a claim is valid, looking more closely at the basic idea of what a company does, a corporation like WW Grainger or Arrow Electronics, while producing similar products, does not have the same global impact that WESCO International has. Since, the global market in both the emerging markets such as India and China and the relatively developed nations such as found in Europe, are growing, economically, even more rapidly when juxtaposed to the United States, a strong argument can be made for such multinational corporations. With liquidity flowing from new jobs and growing discretionary income, while it may be true that WESCO supplies inelastic products, there still will be a strong regard for higher prices for such normal goods, and consumers, especially businesses, will be less reluctant to purchase these goods relative to as recent as three years ago. As such is the case, while Grainger or Arrow may have a nice market share in terms of the electronic wholesale industry in America, I foresee a global corporation, such as WESCO, will have a more dramatic effect on its fundamentals in the future.

While future growth is desirable for current and potential shareholders, it is not to say that WESCO does not already produce strong fundamentals. Examining the top line, revenue growth has been excellent, growing 18% over the past year which is a strong percentage growth compared to competitor Arrow Electronics? 5% revenue growth. Consequently, gross margins have increased modestly, which has produced a 4% net profit growth and a 7% operating income growth over the past twelve months compared to Arrow?s 3% and 5% respective growth rates. In addition, while the current ratio or debt to equity ratio may be negatively favored juxtaposed to competitors such as Arrow or Grainger, WESCO is still a relatively new company and will need to take some time to accrue more growing assets relative to liabilities. Furthermore, out of the three mentioned corporations, WESCO has the smallest PEG ratio, and while Arrow Electronics does have a slight edge with a lower forward and trailing P/E ratio compared to WESCO, I suspect, because of WESCO?s global influence, such statistic will be negligible this time next year. The one area that does concern me would be the negative leveraged free cash flow, but nevertheless, operating cash flow still remains high, and both the EBITDA and EBIT, proxies of cash flow, have been growing at substantial margins over the past few years. Therefore, after examining such fundamentals, while WESCO does not have a complete domination over its competitors regarding the numbers, because of its rival?s lack of global influence, already having a fairly strong pull in many of these categories can only be beneficial to where WESCO will aim for in the long run.

When looking at a five year chart of WESCO?s share price performance, many investors will be surprised at the run this company had from April of 2003 to April of 2006. During this three year time period, the share price of WESCO rose in dramatic fashion, yielding a gain of almost 2000% to lucky investors. As the share price has retracted from such highs to a more modest 60 dollars per share, some investors may believe that this company has reached its high and is on the verge of a declination. Nevertheless, taking a more detailed approach when examining the charts, I believe there is good indication to tell that WESCO may be on the spurt of an upside rally in the coming months. Looking at a one month chart of the share price of WESCO, it is evident that after the 80 dollar peak in April, some stalemate occurred the following months as WESCO fluctuated in a short resistance and support level. However, I noticed one significant change during October which should indicate a strong resurgence in share price. In early October there were two successive days with high volume when the share price rose both these days. In addition to such finding, in mid-October, there was another indication illustrating strong volume but only a modest decline in share price. Such would let me believe that investors, both retail and institutional, were more bullish on WESCO?s upside than bearish for this company. In addition, since WESCO recently fell on unusually small volume over the last week, now may be a perfect opportunity to maximize your capital gains by investing at a price below 60. If such a process is accomplished, there will be a strong case to be made regarding large capital gains earned for shareholders of this company.

Thus, after reviewing the fundamentals and charts of this company, because of its global presence in relation to its competitors, I would strongly argue to purchase shares of WESCO to earn capital gains. It may be true that WESCO has hit a stoppage point after its three year incredible rally, but after reviewing the necessarily indicators, I believe there is still a strong upside for this company.

A Financial Analysis of Global Payments Incorporated

2008-03-08T00:17:00.000-08:00

As the great Warren Buffet alluded to when asked how he became such an enormously successful trader, he acknowledged using simple means to choose certain corporations based on characteristics he was familiar with. While it is fair to say many traders contain the necessary skills required to do analysis of companies they are knowledgeable of, such a process may either involve a too rudimentary process to seem explosive on the upside or may contain profound virtues such as patience, which, unfortunately, not many traders can be attributive of. Nevertheless, after compiling some careful research, I have found a company, Global Payments Incorporated (GPN), which encompasses the ideals presented by Mr. Buffet in terms of providing a simple, but rewarding, procedure to accrue a copious amount of new capital.

When examining the profile listed under Yahoo Finance of what Global Payments does, a simple analysis will lead many investors to believe this company to be involved with the transfer of money regarding credit and debit card transactions and consumer movements as well. Understanding what this company does is crucial, because, as an investor, you are always desiring to look for companies which control a large percentage of the market and has the capabilities to provide not only growth for the short run but value for the long run as well. With Global Payments, after looking for other competitors of the same services, I have located specific companies such as Thomson Corporation which is involved in the same sector as Global but does not necessarily provide the exact same services. When such a comparison is made, it is evident that Global controls a large market share, at least publicly, of what it produces, and should be favored in terms of amassing larger revenue and earnings data coupled with higher positive margins regarding each category. Furthermore, because this corporation engages in a service which is fairly solidified of how it will hold up in terms of business for the next 20 years or so, there should not be too much question of how long such a company will be able to compete in the battle of innovation. In addition, because Global Payments is a worldwide corporation as suggested by its name, with liquidity spreading throughout the world, there is tremendous opportunity, with growing markets in China and India and a strong economic presence in already developed nations such as found in Europe, of the money transferring process to expand and provide more than adequate service for Global Payments to handle. Thus, because of the large concentration ratio Global encompasses, as well as the opportunities which can be traced in the future, there is strong potential for this company to provide shareholders with continuous capital gains.

While the future may look bright for any company relative to the service Global Payments provide, with out a strong fundamental foundation, regardless of the outputted products, a company will not be able to compete. Fortunately such ineptitude is not found with Global. Looking over the past two years, Global has increased its revenue, chronologically, 24 and 16 percent, while maintaining its costs by garnering a gross profit growth of 32 and 23 percent respective to the revenue numbers. The EBIDA has also not diminished in value after taxes and interest, among others, which calculated as net income, regarding its cash flow, has gone up 50% from 2004 to 2005 and 35% the subsequent years. Such cash allows Global Payments, to invest into more capital which will lead to more economies of scale, providing lower costs, higher revenue, and larger capital gains: a process undeniably important when considering the tremendous changes regarding the online and global portion of this business. In addition, one of the best indicators I have found is the current ratio continuing to rapidly increase, as assets, both current and total, continue to rise in dramatic fashion, while both total and current liabilities have actually decreased over the previous two years. All these fundamentals lead to a P/E ratio of near 28 which may seem a bit high in relation to its PEG ratio, but with a forward multiple near 22 and growth expected regarding its placement in terms of world expansion, both ratios should fall in the near future with my expectations of the PEG to fall below one shortly. In addition the price to book ratio, because of the fall liabilities and strong assets remains low which should, coupled with all the other positive fundamental inquiries help this stock to reach new historical records in the foreseeable future.

When I mention Global being close to a record high, it may seem foolish for such a statement to be made as this company is less than five dollars, or about 8%, away from such a number. Nevertheless, by examining the charts, there are definite indicators which illustrate the rising possibilities that Global Payments will provide for its shareholders. Opening in 2001, over the last five years, Global Payments, trading publicly, has provided its shareholders much rejoice after climbing more than nearly 450%. Many investors may claim that such growth, regarding share price, has leveled off after breaking even in 2006, but I foresee, because of the growing liquidity in the growing market, a strong rebound in 2007, as many analysts have predicated, based on historical data, to be a strong year for the stock market. In addition, since October, when Global had a strong share price growth relative to high volume, this company, along with the market in general, has grown fairly well during the past three months. I expect, for the short run, for this growth to sustain, as no high level volume sell offs have occurred, providing short term shareholders some profit. In relation to the long run, because Global has historically had an amazing boost during its history, because of its concentration ratio and its global presence, there is tremendous opportunity for capital gains to be earned over the next few decades, allowing for strong shareholder support in the future.

Therefore, after examining the charts, fundamentals, and strong control Global Payments has in relation to the rest of its specific sector, there is strong potential for this company to provide shareholders with significant capital gains in both the long and short run. Once again, Warren Buffet attributes much of his success to choosing stocks based on rudimentary products and services which have a large control over its respective market. When looking at what Global Payments does, such thought process, in relation to Buffet?s ideal becomes amazingly apparent when buying shares of this company.

How To Incorporate In Indiana

2008-03-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

Incorporating in Indiana is an easy process that can be done by hiring an experienced lawyer or a firm that specializes in helping people incorporates. People are no longer daunted by the complexity of the incorporation process, as they have realized the numerous advantages of incorporating and how it helps build credibility for their business.

Process of Incorporating:
- The kind of corporation to be formed has to be decided on and the necessary action to be taken for incorporating the venture.
- The name of the corporation has to be selected with care. It should be original, not a duplicate of any other registered business, nor be in the list of reserved names. The name may contain the words ?bank? or ?banks? as long as it does not convey the impression that it offers the same services as a bank or a trust company. The name has the end with the words or the abbreviations of the words ?Incorporated,? ?Corporation,? ?Company,? or ?Limited.?
- There must be a minimum of one incorporator and that person has to prepare and file the articles of incorporation after duly signing it. The articles of incorporation have to be filed with the Secretary of State of Indiana, and a fee of about $90 has to be paid. The state will process the articles within 15 business days.
- The articles of incorporation has to include other details such as

1. The names and addresses of the incorporators.

2. A document stating the number of shares that the corporation is authorized to issue. Optional provisions that can be included are

1. Names and addresses of the initial directors.
2. Statement of purpose.
3. Par value of the shares.

- There must be a minimum of one director and the board of directors has the right to adopt, amend, and repeal the bylaws formed by the incorporators as long as they are not restricted by any clause in the articles of incorporation. The bylaws have to be kept in the principal office, and they may provide details about officers or the board of directors may appoint officers and delegate duties to them such as preparing minutes and recording them and authenticating the corporate records. These officers may appoint other officers to help them. Officers can hold more than one office in the corporation.
- A registered agent is a must for any corporation in Indiana, and the registered agent has to be either a resident individual of Indiana whose business office is the same as the registered office or a corporation with authority to transact business in Indiana whose business office is the same as the registered office.
- Every corporation in Indiana has to have a registered office.
- Biennial reports have to be filed with the Secretary Of State. These reports have to include details such as corporate name, address of its registered and principal offices, names and addresses of the registered agent, and initial directors and officers.
- Taxes are as per the taxable net income of the corporations. These are a few guidelines for incorporating in Indiana.

There are firms that offer their services as well as products to help new entrepreneurs run a successful business.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining "The Community of Small Business Owners? to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

How To Incorporate In Connecticut

2008-03-06T01:07:00.000-08:00

Incorporating in Connecticut is an easy procedure if you know how to do it, if you hire a good experienced attorney, or if you hire the services of the numerous online firms that offer to help you incorporate in any of the states.

Connecticut Incorporating Information: It is necessary to have decided on the kind of corporation you are going to form and to take the required steps to form a legal entity. This will be much easier if you have the help of a lawyer. Deciding and registering a name for your entity is another important step. Care should be taken to see that the names is not a copy of any other registered business in Connecticut or that it is not in the reserved list either and must be formed in compliance with the applicable laws of the state. The name must end in the words or abbreviations of the words ?Incorporated,? ?Corporation,? ?Limited,? ?Company,? or ?Societa per Azioni.?

The next step is to form the articles of incorporation and file it with the Secretary Of State of Connecticut. The filing fee is $275, and the file will be processed within 20 business days. Information regarding incorporators, directors, or statement of purpose need not be included with the articles of incorporation. The address of the principal executive office of the business has to be included. The number of classes and number of shares in each class has to be listed in the articles.

There has to be a minimum of one incorporator, and they have to be a natural person above 18 years of age. It is their duty to file the articles of incorporation and selection of directors. The minimum number of directors permitted in Connecticut is one, and they have the right to amend, adopt, or repeal the bylaws. The bylaws may describe the qualifications necessary for a director. The officers may be listed in the bylaws or be elected by the board of directors. The bylaws have to be maintained in the principal executive office. Bylaws are formed to govern a corporation?s business and other affairs and, hence, have to be framed carefully.

The corporation has to file a report with the Secretary of State within 30 days of its first organizational meeting. This report has to include details such as the name of the corporation, its principal office address, the names and addresses of its directors and officers. Then it may file reports annually or biennially as per the regulations.

Taxes are depending on the net taxable income of the corporations. It is very simple to incorporate in Connecticut, and incorporation offers many benefits too. It offers protection of personal assets, helping keep them safe as incorporation offers limited liability protection, and business losses and fringe benefits are deductible.

There are many firms that offer their services as well as products to help new entrepreneurs run a business successfully.

How To Incorporate In California

2008-03-05T01:20:00.000-08:00

Deciding to incorporate your new business venture is a decision that offers several benefits. It is necessary to decide what kind of a legal structure you are opting for and take further action. It is advisable to hire an attorney to guide you through the process of incorporation or opt for a firm that will take care of incorporation details as well as forming bylaws and procuring the EIN, such as legalzoom.com or mycorporation.com for a reasonable fee.

Incorporation in California: Once you have decided on the kind of entity, you are going to form the nature of the business, have a good business plan as well as have adequate resources to fund the operation. It is essential to determine an appropriate name for your corporation. The name has to be unique and not a copy of any other registered business and must not be misleading, it can be reserved by paying a nominal fee and on being registered, can be trademark protected. It is not necessary for corporations to have any specific endings in California, except if it is a statutory close corporation. Make sure the name selected is in compliance with applicable state laws.

The articles of incorporation have to be filed with the Secretary Of State of California. There has to be at least a minimum of one incorporator. It is not necessary to list the names of the incorporators with the articles, but it must contain a statement of purpose, the par value of the shares, the classes of share and the number of shares in each class. Also, the name and address of the corporation's initial agent for service of process in California has to be included. The registered agent must either be a natural person residing in the state or a corporation that has been approved to serve as a registered agent in the state. The state charges a fee of $ 115 and if expedited, the processing time is 15 days usually.

The bylaws have to be formed carefully, and they have to be maintained in the principal executive office of the business and have to be available to be viewed by shareholders if desired during working hours. The must be a minimum of 3 directors, and the bylaws may provide the qualification necessary for becoming a director. The bylaws also provide the number of officers and the duties assigned to them. Usually the president or the chairman of the board is the chief executive officer of the California Corporation. The same person may hold any number of offices unless stated otherwise in the articles or the bylaws. An initial statement of the officers appointed must be filed with the California Secretary of State within 90 days after filing original articles. The corporation has to file annual reports including details of directors, officers and nature of business etc. The income tax rate is 8.84% of net income. These are some tips for incorporating in California.

There are firms that offer their services to businesses that have just started to help them run more efficiently.

How To Incorporate In Arizona

2008-03-05T01:19:00.000-08:00

It better for people starting a new venture to form a separate business entity such as a corporation, as it is a great way to protect personal assets and keep business separate from personal life as it offers liability protection, and many other benefits. It is very easy to incorporate in the state of Arizona.

Incorporating In Arizona: It is necessary to be sure which kind of corporation you are going to form and take the necessary steps. It is necessary to ensure that the startup funds are available and that the necessary licenses and permits obtained from the concerned authority and an appropriate place is leased or bought to begin operations.

? It is necessary to decide on a name and make sure that the name is not a copy as well as make sure you get adequate protection by applying for trademark registration. The name should end in the words such as ?Incorporated,? ?Corporation,? ?Company,? ?Limited,? ?Association? and certain words are restricted such as ? bank? or ?trust.? The name can be reserved online by paying a nominal fee.

? The articles of incorporation have to be filed with the Arizona Corporations Commission. The fee charged is $60 and the articles are processed within 210 business days.

? The articles of incorporation have to include certain information, including the name, address and signature of all incorporators, and there must be a minimum of one incorporator. The statement of purpose and the names and addresses of all directors. Arizona requires that every corporation maintain a known place of business, which may be the address of its statutory agent. The name and address of the statutory agent has to be listed too. The number and the different classes of share have to be filed, too.

? The minimum number of directors permitted is one and they need not be residents of the state or be shareholders.

? The articles of incorporation have to be published in a local newspaper that circulates in the area the principal business executive office is located.

? The bylaws have to be drafted by seeking legal counsel and have to be adopted by the directors. They will describe the number of officers and the tasks assigned to each of them.

? Annual reports have to file on the same month that the business was incorporated. This will have to include a statement of disclosure revealing the names and addresses of those who own more than 20% shares in the corporation as well as a statement that all income tax returns have been duly filed.

? Income tax depends on the annual net income of the corporation.

These are a few tips for incorporating in Arizona.

There are firms that sell their products as well as services to help startup businesses run successfully.

Modern Brides: Incorporate a Little Family History in Your Bridal Jewelry

2008-03-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

Bridal jewelry has come a long way since ancient times. It has evolved from braided grass and hay to precious metals and fine jewels. Weddings are special occasions that not only symbolize the joining of a couple in holy matrimony but also the union between two families. As more families blend, it is important for people to preserve their own family history. Many people have a family heirloom that is passed down from generation to generation when a son or daughter gets married. In many cases, a mother will present her daughter with a pearl necklace, pair of earrings, or a bracelet to wear for bridal jewelry on her wedding day. Every mother and daughter looks forward to the moment when the bride is presented with her great-grandmother?s bridal jewelry. If you are a modern bride that is looking for the latest styles on the market, you may have a difficult time submitting to the ?Something Old? tradition. Adding an old element to a modern bride?s wedding ensemble may pose a potential hazard. How can a modern bride integrate an old family heirloom with her contemporary style?

Antique bridal jewelry can be suitable for even the most modern bride if she uses the right accessories. A contemporary bride can keep her modern-day style by mixing her old family heirloom with a new element. Swarovski bridal jewelry is the perfect liaison between antique and modern. Swarovski crystal jewelry has a semi-antique appeal with a contemporary, elegant style. Great grandmother?s antique pearl earrings would be the perfect accent to a Swarovski crystal and pearl bead set. Swarovski is a company originated in Austria that produces what is known as the finest crystal beads on the market. This company makes dazzling cut crystals, high-class rhinestones, bridal jewelry, and other crystal items. At the close of the 19th Century, a man by the name of Daniel Swarovski (and sons) perfected a formula that produces crystal beads of the purest quality, luminosity, and clarity. Today, Swarovski manufactures bridal jewelry of the finest quality. In addition to the bride?s ornaments, Swarovski crystal jewelry also makes wonderful bridesmaids gifts.

A modern bride has nothing to fear when deciding how to incorporate great-grandmother?s antique silver bracelet into her bridal ensemble. Swarovski crystal wedding jewelry can give the most antiquated family heirloom a contemporary feel. ?Something old? is always followed by ?Something New? in the ancient wedding custom.

Maria Romain writes for Silverland Jewelry and Gifts, a company that sells bridal jewelry and gifts at affordable prices.

http://www.silverlandjewelry.com

Why to Incorporate Hurricane Shutters and Storm Windows in Your Home Building

2008-03-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

Lately Mother Nature has been pummeling the earth with some devastating hurricanes? If you happen to live in one of the cities that are prone to these hurricanes, then you'll want to look for ways to protect your home.

Here's where hurricane shutters come into play. Adding hurricane shutters is a very simple do it yourself job that nearly anyone can tackle. You may not feel that you're the person to do this job if you're not confident in your home building handiness, but if you'll keep reading you may be more committed to protecting your windows for your homes safety.

To begin with, hurricane shutters actually protect the glass in your windows from damage caused by flying debris.

Because of their vulnerability, your doors and windows are the most likely to get damaged during a hurricane. The reason for this is that they're manufactured in a way that offers zero protection against this flying debris.

The huge gusts of winds from a hurricane can easily destroy your windows and doors. As well, just imagine a piece of debris flying though the window or door - for instance a piece of scrap metal or tree - this can cause a barrage of problems.

When this occurs, as the glass breaks, your home then becomes pressurized from the wind that is now blowing in. The problem has now created a new danger. The internal pressure of your home now starts to rise. The wind outside is now going to rush over the top of your home because of this internal pressure.

Now the pressure inside of your home will begin to rise, and the outside wind will mix together and create suction. This immense suction rips the roof off of your home. Because of the damage to the roof, the house becomes very susceptible to new structural damage.

If this doesn't ignite a fuel in your soul to go out and get storm windows, I really don't know what will? With proper protection, you'll increase the chance of your home surviving a hurricane.

Protecting your windows with storm windows - or hurricane shutters - ensures you and your families safety from hurricanes. Hopefully, you'll use this new knowledge and include them in your current and future home building projects.

Linden Walhard is writing mostly for http://www.shades-blinds-shutters-guide.com , an online publication with information about storm windows , home building and other topics. You can discover his writings on hurricane shutters over at http://www.shades-blinds-shutters-guide.com/hurricane-shutters.html and different sources for hurricane shutters knowledge

Incorporate Your Business For Great Business Benefits

2008-03-03T00:28:00.000-08:00

The ability to make the right decision at the right time is the most desired quality in any business entrepreneur. And there are certain business decisions that can take your entrepreneurial ambitions further ahead than others. The decision to incorporate your business is one such decision that can affect the future of your business in a positive direction.

Before explaining several benefits of incorporation, let us give you the definition of corporation from a legal point of view. A corporation is regarded as a separate legal entity, whose existence is independent of that of its owners. The process of incorporation is guided by the charter or certificate of incorporation of the respective states. To incorporate a business, you have to fill out the forms for this Charter and file all the papers along with the requisite fees to the proper state authority.

If you are planning to incorporate, you are moving towards the right direction, because the process of incorporation comes with the following benefits:

Incorporation protects you from the disadvantages of sole proprietorship. As such you no longer remain personally liable with regards to business debts. In case of a sole proprietorship or partnership, your personal properties can be seized by the creditors in case you default on the payment of your business debts. These personal properties include your home, savings and other assets. But incorporation of your business makes you one of the shareholders in your company and as such, if your business is down, as a shareholder you have nothing to lose other than the money you have invested in your company. Your other properties are safe from liability.

As a corporation your company gains a much longer life span. In case of sole proprietorship or in the partnership business, the business virtually comes to an end in the event of the death of the proprietor or one of the partners. But a corporation is provided with a legal business structure. No matter what happens to any of its shareholder or executives, a corporation continues to exist, as it has a separate legal entity of its own. The ownership can also be transferred without affecting any business functions just by selling the stocks.

When you are planning to pump in more capital into your business, a corporation business structure comes into great help. When you need some more capital investment, you can sell stocks or other equity interests in the market. If you are a sole proprietor or running a partnership business, it is much more difficult to attract the financiers due to the liability issues.

If you incorporate your business, you can offer many tax-deductible benefits to your employees including health and life insurance, travel and entertainment expense account, and retirement plans. This will help you to attract the best managers in the industry to run your business more profitably.

Protect your business by Incorporating. Visit InstantCorporation.info to find out how to Incorporate Your Business

Incorporate Your Way to Wealth - How to Make More Money Without Selling a Single Additional Item!

2008-03-01T01:12:00.000-08:00

To run a profitable internet based retail/resale/auction business, you already know what you need to do ? buy low and sell for a profit. This series of articles will provide you with a basic overview of incorporation and its benefits for your small business, as well as some resources to begin the process. This will help you take your selling one step further to make your business more profitable WITHOUT HAVING TO SELL A SINGLE ADDITIONAL ITEM!

The secret to doing this is to set yourself up in a legal business entity, specifically, a corporation. Even a small business can be a corporation. There are several forms of corporations such as a C corporation, an S corporation and a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). All corporations are legal business structures that are separate entities for doing business. They provide different legal protection and tax benefits than doing business as a sole proprietor or selling with no business form at all. The type of corporation that is best suited to your needs will vary depending on your total revenue and how many people are in your corporation.

Here are some characteristics of the different business forms:

SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP

*NO LIMIT ON LIABILITY.

*Self managed.

*Owned by one individual.

*Inexpensive to establish.

*Few administrative duties involved (i.e., not a lot of paperwork to maintain)

*UNLIMITED PERSONAL LIABILITY.

*No tax benefits.

*Owner is responsible for paying taxes.

C CORPORATION

*LIMITED LIABILITY.

*Managed by Board of Directors. This can be you alone or with partners.

*No maximum number of owners

*Company paid fringe benefits(e.g. healthcare, continuing education)

*Tax savings over no business structure.

*There will be some cost to form.

*More administrative duties.

*Corporation Pays Its Own Taxes.

S CORPORATION

*LIMITED LIABILITY.

*Managed by Board of Directors. This can be you alone or with partners.

*Maximum of ownership of 100.

*Tax savings over no business structure.

*Will be some cost to form.

*More administrative duties.

*Taxes pass through to owners.

LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC)

*LIMITED LIABILITY.

*Managed by members and/or managers.

*No maximum number of owners, minimum of one.

*Pass through entity. Tax savings over no business structure.

*Can be costly to form.

*More administrative duties.

*Usually Taxed As A Partnership.

The process of incorporating can be an intimidating thought for some people and it does require a bit of initial effort on your part, but it will increase your profits substantially over the years.

Now, you may be thinking "I am just selling a few items online, why would I want to set up a corporation?" This is a valid question. One of the benefits to incorporation is that it helps to protect you from personal liability lawsuits that could arise in the course of doing business.

When you set your business up as a corporation (not a sole proprietorship) you provide yourself with an added layer of protection from lawsuits. Yes, the people who purchase items or services from you can sue you if they have any problems that arise which they feel are a result of the use of your product or service. If you are not acting as some type of corporation, that person can sue you directly and they can sue for any or all of your personal assets. If you are sued as a corporation, generally only the assets of the corporation can be included in the suit. In other words, you are protecting your home, your investments, your savings, etc. For specific advice on this topic, please consult an attorney who specializes in small business issues. The peace of mind you will obtain is itself invaluable.

Now for the fun reasons to incorporate. You get to keep more money! "Karen! You've got to be kidding!" "No, I'm telling you it's true!" (I just wanted to see if you were still with me :-) When you run your business as a corporation, you get to take a myriad of tax deductions that you could not have taken before if you were working without any type of legal business structure.

We will discuss the types of deductions in the next article in this series. We'll also review some resources to help you in setting up your business. In the meantime, start researching the best business model for your business and begin work on establishing your business entity.

Karen Grant is CEO of Divine Finds, Inc. and is author of the book Incorporate Your Way to Wealth She has also developed several websites, the latest being www.FindMoreFacts.com an informational website for home and small business resources. This site contains descriptions and comparisons of web hosting sites, internet marketing sites, online incorporation sites, and more along with more articles and information on starting and running a business.

The reader is cautioned that this article is provided with the understanding that the Publisher and Author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. Since everyone?s situation is different, readers are urged to consult their own legal or tax advisor for advice regarding their particular needs.

One Superfood You Should Incorporate In Your Life Today

2008-02-28T22:44:00.000-08:00

It seems that everyone is jumping on the super foods and antioxidant bandwagon and why not - we all want to live a longer, healthier, and happier life. And super foods offer us that opportunity.

Why Super Foods. Super foods help reduce or eliminate the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals are believed to play a role in more than 60 different diverse health issues.

A Super food is any food that has healing properties that lower disease risk and promote longevity. They are natural food sources that are highly concentrated with a complex supply of quality nutrients. Eating super foods daily is a natural way of combating the pollutants of the modern world and staying fit and healthy. There are also some super foods that have powerful anti aging properties in them that any man or woman concerned about warding off the effects of aging should pay attention to.

One of the best Super foods is the Acai (pronounced "ah-sigh-ee") Berry. It is a newly discovered fruit with amazing antioxidant properties. It is rich in antioxidants - the acai berry has three times the amount of antioxidants as blueberries. Acai berries are considered nature's perfect food. This superfood is nutrition in its simplest and most complete form.

The Acai Berry is grown primarily in Central and South America. It is quickly taking over blenders as the new superfood of choice. It was recently listed By Oprah's Health Advisor Dr. Nicholas Perricone as the number one super food on the Oprah Winfrey Show for its age-defying beauty qualities. The Acai berry is an important superfood because it takes care of your cardiovascular system, and it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

With all these powerful benefits it's no wonder that the Acai has been referred to as the world's number one superfood, the amazon's Viagra, and the next big workout cocktail.

Where can you buy it? It can often be found in juice form in health food and gourmet stores such as Whole Foods. Or you can buy packages of the berry by themselves as well.

How should you eat it? You can eat the berries as a snack throughout the day or you can also mix acai juice in a blender with other powerful super foods like strawberries, bananas, and blueberries for a delicious smoothie. You can also add some berries to your favorite oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. You can also take nutritional supplements with Acai Berry extract if you prefer. This is the least preferred method as you'll get the most health benefits from eating the fruit or drinking the juice.

Super foods are the perfection of Nature versus the folly of Man. They offer us a healthy way to fight off the effects of aging, prevent many diseases, and promote good health. Start adding super foods to your meals, especially the Acai Berry and feel the difference.

This is only one super food, there are many others with anti aging qualities that you'll want to learn about.

Adam Tijerina offers all natural anti aging solutions. If you're worried about what chemicals you're putting on your face with the latest anti wrinkle creams then check out www.rxforantiaging.com for a healthy alternative.

Ways to Incorporate Essential Oils into Home & Daily Use

2008-02-27T00:36:00.002-08:00

There are numerous ways in which essential oils can be used. I will outline some of the easiest and most effective techniques, but I urge you to be creative and fill your home with essential oils.

BATHS

Essential oils are simple to use in the bath. Just fill the bath and scatter about six drops of your chosen undiluted oil into the water, agitating it thoroughly. Do not add the essential oil until you have run the bath completely, otherwise the oil will evaporate with the heat of the water and the therapeutic properties will be lost before you climb in! Always disperse the oil - if you inadvertently sit down on neat essential oil of, say, tangerine you will jump up again very quickly! Shut the door to keep the precious aromas in and stay in the bath for at least fifteen minutes to allow the oil to penetrate deeply into your body tissues.

If you desire, you may blend your six drops of essential oil with a teaspoon of carrier oil. This is particularly beneficial for those with dry skin, although carrier oils can leave a greasy ring around the bath. However, special, unscented bath oils, which contain natural dispersing agents, can be purchased. These leave the skin feeling soft but not greasy. Choose any vegetable oil such as sweet almond, wheatgerm, avocado or jojoba. You could mix up enough oil for several baths. Your skin will feel soft, nourished and supple.

HYDROTHERAPY BATHS AND JACUZZIS

Nowadays some people have their own Jacuzzi or hydrotherapy bath. USe the same number of drops as you would in a normal bath, although if it is a large hydrotherapy bath designed for two or three persons then ten drops may be added. Sprinkle in your essential oils after the bath has been filled.

FOOTBATHS AND HANDBATHS

Footbaths and handbaths are highly beneficial in situations where it is impractical to enjoy a full aromatherapy bath perhaps if you are elderly or have a disability. Footbaths, in particular, are incredibly relaxing at the end of a long, hard day. They are excellent for foot conditions such as athlete's foot and pain and swelling in the feet. Handbaths help to relieve the pain, stiffness and swelling of arthritis.

Add six drops of essential oil to a bowl of hand-hot water just before you immerse your feet or hands and soak for about ten to fifteen minutes.

SITZ BATHS AND BIDETS

A sitz bath is invaluable in cases of cystitis, haemorrhoids, vaginal discharge, stitches after childbirth, and so on. Sprinkle about four to six drops of pure essential oil into a bowl of hand-hot water and sit in the bowl for about ten minutes. If you are fortunate enough to have a bidet then use the same number of drops. Ensure that the essential oil and water are thoroughly mixed.

COMPRESSES

Compresses can be used for a variety of disorders such as muscular aches and pains, bruises, rheumatic and arthritic pain, headaches and sprains.

You may apply compresses either hot or cold. Alternate hot and cold compresses are invaluable for treating sprains. As a general rule, where there is a fever, acute pain or hot swellings use a cold compress. When treating chronic (long-term) pain use a hot compress.

To make a compress, mix approximately six drops of essential oil into a small bowl of water. Soak any piece of absorbent material such as a flannel, piece of sheeting or towelling in the solution ensuring that as much essential oil as possible is absorbed by your fabric. Squeeze out the compress so it does not drip everywhere and apply to the affected area. Wrap cling film around it or secure with a bandage. Leave for about two hours or even overnight. Where there is a fever replace with a new compress when necessary.

GARGLES AND MOUTHWASHES

Gargles are particularly beneficial for sore throats, respiratory problems and loss of voice. After dental surgery gargling can help to relieve pains and inflammation, reduce blood flow and speed up the healing process. Gargle twice daily, although if the problem is acute then you can gargle every two hours.

Put two drops of essential oil into half a glass of water. Stir well, gargle and spit it out. Do not swallow. Stir again and repeat. Antiseptic oils such as tea tree, sage, lemon and thyme are excellent for treating sore throats. Roman chamomile, geranium and sandalwood will also soothe inflammation. Myrrh and tea tree combined are invaluable for treating mouth ulcers.

INHALATIONS

Inhalation of essential oils works upon the body, mind and spirit.

On a physical level there is a strong action on the mucous membranes of the nose, the lungs and the respiratory system in general. Conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs, colds, sinusitis and sore throats can all benefit enormously.

The inhalation of essential oils has a profound effect on the nervous system helping to relieve insomnia, anxiety and stress-related disorders, and lifting depression and negativity.

STEAM INHALATION

Add two to four drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water. Cover your head with a towel and lean over the bowl inhaling deeply for one to five minutes. Keep your eyes closed to avoid irritation. If an asthmatic uses this method then just one drop is adequate. Take care with the hot water if there are small children around.

HANDKERCHIEF/TISSUE

Sprinkle a few drops of essential oil on to a handkerchief, paper towel or tissue and take a few deep breaths. This method is particularly effective for relieving nasal congestion and also for stopping panic attacks. Place the handkerchief in your pocket and you can continue to inhale the aroma throughout the day.

ROOM SPRAY

A room spray is a excellent way of purifying the atmosphere. Add 250 ml of water to a plant spray and add 15-20 drops of essential oil. Shake the bottle well and spray the room. You can even spray carpets and curtains. Do not spray on to polished surfaces.

Sprays can also be used to relieve irritation and pain as in chicken-pox, shingles, burns and any infectious skin diseases.

VAPORISERS AND DIFFUSERS

Electric vaporisers are sometimes used in clinics and hospital settings since they are considered to be safe. Electric diffusers, which do not use heat, are also becoming popular. However, both vaporisers and diffusers particularly can be rather expensive.

Therefore, for home use, I recommend a clay vaporiser heated by a night light. These are readily available. Put a few teaspoons of water into the loose bowl on top and sprinkle two to six drops of essential oil into it. Light the night light and the oil will diffuse into the air.

PILLOW AND NIGHTWEAR METHOD

Place a few drops of essential oil on to a pillow or your nightwear for relief from insomnia and to encourage easier and deeper breathing. If desired, you could put the drops on to a piece of cotton wool and place it inside the pillow case.

LIGHT BULB RING

Two drops of essential oil can be sprinkled on to a ceramic or metal ring which fits on to a light bulb. Only apply your oils when the lamp is off and the ring is cool ensuring that you do not get any oil on the light bulb itself or on the fitting, as essential oils are inflammable.

RADIATOR FRAGRANCER

Two to six drops of essential oil can be placed into a ceramic container which fits on to a radiator by means of a magnet.

Alternatively, moisten a cotton-wool ball slightly with water, sprinkle the drops of essential oil on to the ball and place it on t he radiator, or even lodge it by the pipe to avoid staining the paint surface. The heat from the radiator will evaporate the essential oil into the room.

OPEN FIRE

Put one drop of essential oil on each log before lighting the fire. As the logs heat up, the aroma will be released into the room. Cypress, sandalwood and cedarwood are particularly effective.

MASSAGE

Massage even without essential oils is a powerful therapy. The combination of pure essential oils and massage is even more potent. Massage is one of the most effective and beneficial treatment techniques. Essential oil constituents pass through the skin and they are taken into the bloodstream and can be carried to all the cells of the body.

Essential oils are not usually applied in an undiluted form to the skin except for emergencies such as burns, cuts or a sting. They must be blended with a suitable carrier oil in the appropriate dilution. When blending essential oil with a base oil, the essential oil content is usually between 1 per cent and 3 per cent. A massage takes between 10 ml and 20 ml of oil. Since a teaspoon holds approximately 5 ml, a treatment will require only two to four teaspoons of base oil. The following guidelines should help you:

- 3 drops of essential oil to 10 ml of carrier oil

- 4-5 drops of essential oil to 15 ml of carrier oil

- 6 drops of essential oil to 20 ml of carrier oil

- 15 drops of essential oil to 50 ml of carrier oil

- 30 drops of essential oil to 100 ml of carrier oil

Remember that if you are mixing up a large quantity (e.g. 100 ml) for daily use, then ensure that you add a teaspoon of wheatgerm oil to prolong the life of your blend.

CANDLES

Add one to two drops of essential oil to the warm wax of a candle, taking care to avoid the wick since essential oils are flammable.

OINTMENTS AND CREAMS

Sometimes you may prefer to apply a cream to a particular area of the body rather than an oil. It is possible to create some wonderful moisturizers for the face, and they make lovely presents. You can also blend your own hand creams and foot creams to alleviate cracked and chapped skin, redness and irritation, infections, chilblains, and so forth. Some aromatherapy suppliers produce a cream without essential oils to which you can add your own. Ensure that it is non-mineral based, organic and lanolin-free for optimum results.

For more information on aromatherapy, essential oils, sensual oil blends, essential oil recipes.... please visit http://www.massagemanual.com

A Short Term Buy: Air T Incorporated

2008-02-27T00:36:00.001-08:00

As the holiday season approaches with the price of crude oil remaining relatively low juxtaposed to prices reported last year, such may be a good opportunity to purchase shares of transportation companies in attempt to gain some extra profit from the unexpected support of this dependent commodity. While I am typically not in favor of purchasing any shares in industries where too much is holding on dependent factors, in the case for Air T Incorporated (AIRT), I believe there is a chance to accumulate a nice sum of capital gains come spring time.

As I mention this small cap stock, you may be wondering why I am not picking a well known company situated in the same sector, air and freight services, such as FedEx or UPS. While both of these companies are excellent in terms of what they do, more than likely, individuals are going to view these stocks more as long term investments rather than a short speculating session. Such can be a positive indication as what does interest me of Air T in relation to the other two giant firms is their relative P/E ratio. While FedEx and UPS have posted pretty solid numbers in the 10-20 range, what I notice about Air T is its ratio currently of 9.41. For a company in such an industry, such a price is relatively low to its competitors and might signal a strong boost in terms of its share price in the near future. Come early 2007 when Air T announces its earning results coupled with a possibly strong holiday sending session, you should see the share price of Air T, which already is near its 52 week low, prop up to amazing levels. While the same logic can be said about FedEx or UPS as they all utilize the same procedures to obtain profit, because Air T is near such a low but still remains to keep a strong P/E ratio, I believe this company has reached its support level and has no other option but go up in terms of share price.

When looking at more concrete information, Air T has done pretty solid when it has come to fundamentals. It?s true that operating income has not increased from year to year at a rate favorable to many investors, but nevertheless, revenue growth still has been strong which supports the strong earnings, and liabilities have been decreasing at a rate faster than the more valuable total assets. Trend wise, Air T has remained relatively flat for the previous few years. Nonetheless, my suggestion for purchasing shares of this stock remains as a short term investment (until a good few day rally), as I do not believe this stock will remain as productive when oil prices return to their respective highs. In the short term however, because this stock is a small cap equity with low volume and because this stock has a history of being volatile in many situations, I would encourage purchasing shares now to take advantage of the low commodity prices and the holiday shopping season. Both of these factors will have tremendous benefits to not only the fundamentals of this company but to its relative share price value as well.

Therefore, while a better long term investment may rest with companies such as FedEx or UPS due to their relative stronghold and stability, if you, as an investor, are looking for a short term purchase with a high risk but higher reward, look no further than purchasing Air T. With a strong P/E ratio along with fairly positive economic and seasonal indicators, at such a price, regardless if the company will buy back its stock or not, this stock will be enticing for any investor to stimulate his or her capital gains to the upside.

Affiliate Tip - Incorporate Your Business

2008-02-26T01:22:00.000-08:00

It's time to make your business a business. If you've been using your social security number when you join affiliate programs and conduct other business, you may want to rethink things.

As your business grows, there are a number of reasons why you might want to incorporate.

Reasons to incorporate your business include people taking you seriously. When you add "Inc." to your company name, it makes your business appear bigger and more established than somebody working solo in their home office.

Also, there can be tax benefits when you incorporate a business, as well as some liability protection. Check in with your lawyer and accountant (they are also key for a growing business to be sure you are doing things correctly).

If you are aiming to convey that your business is a real workplace, you'll want to get a business phone line. Do you want potential business partners hearing the cute outgoing message on your regular home phone?

If the cost of a second phone line is cost prohibitive, have a look at VoIP (Voice-Over-Internet Protocol). VoIP is a technology that enables you to make phone calls through a broadband Internet connection rather than a regular phone line. This way you can save on monthly service fees and call charges.

Another step to consider to enhance your image as a real business is to have your domains registered and you business mail directed to a P.O. Box or a mailbox at the UPS Store.

Not only does this give a more professional impression, but it enables you to maintain privacy by not sharing your home address so openly.

http://www.affiliatetip.com

China MP4 player manufacturers and suppliers incorporate cutting-edge technology

2008-02-26T01:21:00.000-08:00

It came to my attention a few days ago that the on-line media company Global Sources now features hundreds of suppliers and manufacturers of MP4 players on its website.

For importers of MP4 players and other China electronics, this is exciting news. It means that now there is a single site you can conveniently access to find the latest MP4 players. Whether you're looking for the most stylish MP4 products available or for the most technologically advanced MP4 players, you will find them at the Global Sources site.

Even more important, if you're a volume buyer, you no longer have to perform extensive searches to find an export supplier of MP4 player manufacturers and suppliers. All the latest products are readily available at this "MP4 Online Manufacturer Directory" provided by the Global Sources organization.

Buyers interested in reviewing the list of MP4 players products offered by China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Asian manufacturers should visit the online export directory at http://www.globalsources.com/manufacturers/MP4-Players.html The directory includes thousands of digital MP4 players and other wholesale items.

Global Sources operates one of the world's leading trade sites, connecting volume buyers with quality suppliers from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and throughout Asia. It provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers.

Why Incorporate

2008-02-14T02:58:00.002-08:00

Business is a risky nature. It is also said the higher the risk, the greater the benefit. Discretion is the better part of the valor, as the potential downfall might lead to complete financial failure and recovering could be a mammoth task. It is important to know how much money you should risk, and incorporating a business venture reduces the risk and the personal liability.

There are many advantages to incorporating a business. They are personal liability, tax advantages, anonymity, perpetuity, easier access to capital and transfer of ownership. A Corporation is made up of a group of persons called shareholders. Each has limited investment in the venture. The benefits they accrue is in the form of salaries if they are employees, as well as dividends and capital appreciation if the shares are listed. If the business incurs any loss, the shareholders are liable only for their investments. Their personal assets are protected.

Corporations enjoy many tax advantages when compared to proprietorship and partnership. Many expenses like rents, insurance plans and retirement plans can be claimed for deductions. In proprietorship and partnership, debt is the only way to raise capital. This comes at a higher interest due to unlimited liability. But corporations can raise capital by selling shares and can borrow money from institutions because of the credibility. As ownership is held in the form of shares, it is easy to transfer ownership by selling the shares. Corporations exist on their own by their legal entity status. This makes the corporation live longer and provides the founders anonymity as they are separate from the corporation.

It is important to note that incorporating a business allows for public scrutiny, and the founders have a responsibility to society to file returns properly and follow laws set by the state. It is important to understand that incorporated business is not their alter ego, but a separate legal entity.

Incorporate provides detailed information on Incorporate, Why Incorporate, Incorporate Business, Incorporate Llc and more. Incorporate is affliated with Business Incorporation Services.

Incorporate Online

2008-02-14T02:58:00.001-08:00

Businesses can be incorporated online. Incorporation can be done filing papers and handing over the forms to the office of the Secretary of State where they will be incorporated. It can be done by the applicant or by a lawyer. If you chose to do it yourself, online medium offer a fairly easy way. There are intermediaries who will do if for you, but you must keep in mind that they are just service providers and don?t offer any legal advice.

There are many of service providers on the Internet who provide incorporation services. The services include filing the papers, providing registered agents for those states where the business is to be incorporated, name checking and final delivery of the documents. The charges include state filing fees that vary from state to state and service and shipping charges. If the incorporation process has to be expedited, the charges are usually higher.

Before filing online, you have to do a lot of homework either by yourself or with the counsel of a lawyer. This includes deciding on the type of corporation -- the most important part of the incorporation process because a wrong choice could lead to business losses. Secondly, you have to decide the states in which to incorporate.

To file, an online form has to be filled out, and once the ?submit? button is pressed, the online registration is over. A form may have to be filled in again, if the name chosen for incorporation is not available. Many online services act as registered agents in different states. Usually the fees are paid by credit cards. The number of days to process the application varies from state to state. The fees vary from $89-$329, plus state fees. Some online service providers offer value added services like compliance services and international services.

Incorporate provides detailed information on Incorporate, Why Incorporate, Incorporate Business, Incorporate Llc and more. Incorporate is affliated with Business Incorporation Services.

Jazz Wear Incorporates Trends into Functional and Practical Dance Wear

2008-02-13T02:54:00.001-08:00

Jazz wear has begun to take on a ?less is more? type of trend. Full-length jazz pants and even capri pants are not as ?in? as they used to be. ?Booty shorts?, or ?hot pants? as some may call them, are taking over in the world of jazz. It only makes sense to wear less clothing while dancing and getting sweaty. Dancers everywhere are wearing these short, tight shorts and pairing them with tops that are just as fitted.

Halter Tops
Halter tops have become very big in jazz wear. They are cute and stylish and also very good for bustline support. To make these tops even more stylish, rouching has become very popular on dance tops. All of the rouching and halter tops are beginning to make jazz wear look more like normal, everyday clothing. This season, the popular color for tops is blue. It is a beautiful color that everyone can pull off and will be seen more in the dance studios this fall.

Crystals
Crystals are also a very big trend right now in jazz wear. There may be a few crystals spread out across a top or made to spell out dance. Crystals have even been done across the back of shorts or pants to spell out dance or other catchy, dance related words. Even ?booty shorts? are being detailed with crystals along the sides or across the top.

Lyrical Shoes Lately, lyrical shoes have become quite popular in the jazz dance circle. Many new styles have been created to give an even better illusion that the dancer is not wearing any shoes. These shoes are also becoming more comfortable for dancers and manufacturers are making them easier to stay on the feet. Though these shoes are not technically jazz shoes, dancers are still wearing them for jazz classes and sometimes even performances.

It is obvious that jazz wear has evolved into minimal coverage. Between the ?booty shorts?, fitted shirts, and lyrical shoes that make a dancer look barefoot, jazz dancers are showing more skin than ever before. The evolving trend to find comfort and style in today?s jazz wear while decreasing body coverage is definitely an interesting fashion movement to watch in the future.

Amber Heil has worked at Pampos Dance & Swim for over 4 years and has been a manager for over 3 years. With 16 years of ballet training, Heil is knowledgeable in other areas of ballet such as forecasting trends in ballet wear and how to find the right ballet shoe. She is currently studying marketing at Louisiana State University (LSU) and will graduate in December 2006.

Incorporate LLC

2008-02-13T02:53:00.001-08:00

LLC (limited liability company) provides the benefits of liability protection and pass through taxation features of sole proprietorship or partnership. Many small business owners prefer this form of corporation as it provides greater flexibility in management. The general characteristics of LLC?s are limited duration of existence, no double taxation and member or owner managed business.

LLC?s can be incorporated by filing with the state authorities. The general procedure is that of incorporating a corporation. The advantages over a corporation are that there is no need to get the consent of shareholders, no need to issue shares and no need for the board of directors. When selecting the name of the business, it should end with LLC. Since the existence of LLC is limited, the duration has to be mentioned. Since LLC?s are run by member-owners, they have their own operating agreement. Once these are decided, the LLC can be incorporated by filing with the state authorities.

LLC?s have to comply with state laws and regulations. The tax on LLC is passed on to the members. A Federal Employer Identification Number(EIN) has to be obtained by filing Form SS-4 under IRS, if there is an intent to employ people. There is no need to obtain federal licenses except for certain businesses. Also a sales tax permit must be obtained. To incorporate LLC, one can get the help of a lawyer or an intermediary agency to help file or do it by themselves. Because the LLC lets the income flow through the owner, it doesn?t mean that the owner can siphon money to their account. If the state finds this out, the owner will be held personally liable. Running a business is important and equally important is the choice of business structure and the incorporation of it. Hence, it is advised to get counsel from a lawyer before incorporating.

Why Incorporate provides detailed information on Incorporate, Why Incorporate, Incorporate Business, Incorporate Llc and more. Why Incorporate is affiliated with Business Incorporation Services.

Incorporate Church

2008-02-11T04:07:00.001-08:00

A non-profit association is an incorporated association run with the primary purpose other than to make profit. The not-for-profit associations fall into three categories. Educational institutions and charitable associations for public benefit, trusts for the mutual benefit of the members and religious establishments like churches, religious beneficial programs and religious education. Churches are theological institutions with Jesus Christ as the head. Churches exist for the worship of God. Other activities include proselytizing, i.e. spreading the word of God to others and other charitable works. Churches have many denominations like Catholics, Protestants, etc.

By the definition of corporation as a legal entity, churches can also be incorporated. The advantages to incorporate a church are tax exemption status under IRS code section 501(c) (3); thus, the donations and property transferal are exempted. Also, the limited liability clause protects the officers, in this case, the priests and other members of the church committee. Other fringe benefits include lower postal rates on bulk mail and the options for employees to join federal subsidized job training and work study programs.

The church can be incorporated by filing the articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State. Most states require at least three directors. Some allow less than three when there are less than three members, and other states require only one director. To claim tax exemption, IRS form 1023 must be filed within 15 months from the date of filing the articles of incorporation.

Since churches are concerned with theological issues, the fact that the incorporated church is a creation of the state immediately clashes with the theological proposition that God is the head of the church. Hence, many people are against the incorporation of church. Since the independence of the United States, incorporation of churches has always been contentious. In fact in 1811, President Madison vetoed a bill to incorporate churches. Since then, the state of Virginia doesn?t allow churches to be incorporated.

Why Incorporate provides detailed information on Incorporate, Why Incorporate, Incorporate Business, Incorporate Llc and more. Why Incorporate is affiliated with Business Incorporation Services.

Product Creation - How to Incorporate Articles Into Your Product Creation Cycle

2008-02-11T04:06:00.000-08:00

I am going to chat briefly here about some product creation ideas. This is not going to be one, two, three, and if you are looking for step by step, this is the wrong article for you. I have written plenty of others that do that well.

This is more like advanced brainstorming. Read this and if you take out just one good idea that you can use, you are ahead.

So, you have perhaps been working on, thinking about, creating your own product. You have a little bit of an outline, but are stuck.

Maybe you have written a few articles. But they are hard to crank out. You have a hard time thinking about how they should be organized.

Let me tell you from experience, that as you write more articles, as you write more books, you will get better at organizing things, you will get better at just letting the ideas in your head flow out. You will also start typing faster. Three months ago I typed at about 25 words per minute. Now I am at 50 words per minute. That makes a huge difference.

Then, I had to think about an article before I wrote it. I mean, really think. Now, I pick a topic, introduce it, generally list a few points that teaches about my topic, then wrap the article up with a challenge.

So think about this, if writing articles makes you a better writer, and being a better writer would give you more flexibility in creating your own product, what do you see here?

I say write more.

Write lots of articles. Keep a copy of them.

When you are looking for good content for your book, go looking through your articles.

When you need content for an email, go looking through your articles.

Use articles as the backbone of your product creation process.

As you write articles, you will become a better writer and that will show in your product creation.

By the way, think you cannot write a 50,000 page book?

Write 100 articles and you have between 40,000 and 50,000 words. What is the difference? What if you spent one whole day outlining your book so that you had 10 chapters with 10 subtopics each? Then wrote 500 words on each topic, article style?

What if you wrote 10 of those sections everyday and submitted 3 of them to some article directories, and included in your bio that this article is an excerpt from your upcoming book? And then have them opt in to your announcement list? When you have 100 people on your announcement list, you will be real anxious to get the book finished.

Do something. Write something today.

Download my new report on article marketing: Secrets of Article Promotion

Then, download my new, free traffic report: Triple Your Traffic Fast!

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has created over 260 articles in print and 7 published ebooks online.

How To Become Incorporated

2008-02-09T01:51:00.000-08:00

Before starting the process of incorporating your business, you need to decide whether incorporation is right for you and your business.

The main benefit of becoming incorporated is the limited liability status that incorporation affords the company?s owners. Personal liability of the owners is restricted to their capital invested. The primary disadvantages of incorporation are double taxation and the additional burden of statutory controls and record keeping. Double taxation relates to the taxation of the corporation?s profits and the taxation of the dividends from the net profits. It may be possible to avoid the double taxation through filing to the IRS to become an S-Corporation (professional taxation advice should be sought on these matters).

Once it is decided that becoming incorporated is the right course of action for your business you need to decide on a company name and in which state to incorporate.

Name availability can be checked with the secretary of state for your chosen state of incorporation. At the same time you should also do a trademark check, this can be done at the US trademark website.

If you business is small and only likely to trade in your own state of residence then your own state is likely to be the one most suitable for incorporating in for your business. If you are likely to trade across states, and you are confident of significant growth, then a state such as Delaware or Nevada may be appropriate as they offer favourable trading conditions, although your set up costs and ongoing costs will be higher.

Once you have your name chosen and a state of incorporation decided on you are ready to prepare your incorporation documents. The documents will include:

- Certificate of Incorporation / Articles of Incorporation
- Bylaws for your Company
- Resolutions of the Board of Directors
- Stockholder Resolutions
- Stock Ledger
- Stock Certificates

With the introduction of the latest Corporation Act, the incorporation process has become less complex, and as such there are now many companies on the internet who will assist you to incorporate, and with simple incorporations being performed online. It is always advisable to seek professional legal and taxation advice though in advance of incorporation.

Once the certificate of incorporation and associated documents are filed with the secretary of state in your chosen state of incorporation your corporation becomes official.

Stock certificates should be issued to shareholders in compliance with securities laws and all corporate actions and meetings minutes should be recorded in your official Corporate Minute Book. You will also need to elect and record officers and directors of the corporation, the number of directors will depend on your local state law.

You will also need to contact the IRS and obtain your state and federal tax ID numbers, the federal forms you need can be obtained from the IRS website.

You should also decide whether or not filing for S-Corporation status with the IRS is appropriate for your business, as a small company the benefits of avoiding double taxation may be worthwhile. After becoming incorporated your will need to open a corporate bank account and ensure you have appropriate accounting systems and records in place to meet statutory requirements. If your newly formed corporation is a new business you should check with the local authorities to see if there any special licences required for your type of business to trade.

If you have to hire staff, you should have formal contracts of employment in place stating the terms and conditions of employment, and where necessary have confidentiality agreements in place.

Richard Taylor MBA is a Chartered Management Accountant and Corporated Director with a specific interest in small business start ups and How To Become Incorporated

So How Do You Incorporate A Small Business Easily And Quickly?

2008-02-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

There are many people who claim that you should go ahead and register a corporation in a more business-favorable state, such as Delaware or Nevada, two of the current favorites. In many cases, this is not true - you're much better off registering your corporation in the state where you conduct most of your business. After all, you will have to qualify for doing business in your own state and city, anyway. You will also have to pay income taxes in your own state. It's true that sometimes there are corporate laws in those countries that are more flexible, but these benefit mostly large, publicly owned corporations and not the small privately-help corporations most small business owners intend to have.

Incorporating is an easy and fast process as long as %100 of the company shares will be help by you, your family and your partners. Things get a little more complicated when parts of the company are sold to the public. In most of the small business cases, this is not the case. So if you form a simple corporations, all you need can be done in a few hours.

Here are the steps for legally forming a corporation (in general):

1st step - Check with your state's corporate filing office, as well as with the federal and state trademark registers - to be sure the name you want to use is available.

2nd step - Fill in blanks in a preprinted form (available from commercial publishers or your state's corporate filing office). You will state the purpose of your operation, the place of business, and the number and type of stocks.

3rd step - You need to pay a registration fee of $200-$1000, depending on the state.

4th step - you will need to complete Corporate Bylaws. They will outline a few corporate housekeeping details such as when an annual shareholders meeting will be held, who can vote and how the shareholders will be notified if a special meeting will be held.

If you're not selling any stocks to the public, conducting corporate business is very simple. You will basically need to record key corporate decisions, such as taking a loan, or buying property such as real-estate. You will also need to hold an annual meeting.

There are many self-help book out there that make it very simple to incorporate your business in your state without getting a lawyer. These books will also teach you to run your corporation smoothly.

Visit incorporate-how-to.info from Jane Ling, For how to incorporate, incorporate business and more information about business forming.

How To Incorporate

2008-02-06T22:58:00.001-08:00

Hard work, a good business acumen to spot opportunities and a little bit of luck are the key ingredients for success in business. Equally, there are many factors for failure that are out of one?s control. Business structure determines the level of risk one is exposed to and is the ultimate facture for the failure of the business. One can choose to be a sole proprietor, partner with others, form a limited liability company or a corporation. The first two need not be registered with the state. The procedure to incorporate a business requires certain steps. One has to decide the type of corporation, name of the corporation, state of incorporation and the filing of the papers.

As the corporation is a separate legal entity, the identification has to be unique. It is essential to check with the authorities as to whether the name for the business already exists. If it exists, some other name has to be chosen. Some names can be appended with the name of the business like XYZ bank. The type of corporation is decided by determining whether or not one has to raise capital through the public, the duration of the corporation, the management structure and control and the type of corporation like LLC or corporation. There is a S form of corporation that has a special tax structure so that double taxation of the income is avoided.

The procedure for filing papers for all types of corporation remains the same. By law, it is required to register the corporation in the state the business is operating. It is also possible to incorporate in one state where the tax structure and other conditions are favorable and operate in another state. For this, the corporation should designate a registered agent with a physical address in the state. This is done to facilitate communication between authorities and the corporation.

Finally ,the incorporation is done by filing papers that contains details about the business along with the registration fees. Usually registration is about $400. It takes some time to complete the process. and if one needs to expedite, an additional fee is required.
Incorporate provides detailed information on Incorporate, Why Incorporate, Incorporate Business, Incorporate Llc and more. Incorporate is affliated with Business Incorporation Services.

What is the Best Location to Incorporate?

2008-02-05T23:12:00.001-08:00

Okay, you have made the decision to go ahead and incorporate to protect yourself. The next question is where is the best place to do so?

What is the Best Location to Incorporate?

One of the most misunderstood elements of business law is jurisdiction. Jurisdiction simply refers to the issue of what laws control particular situation. Actually, a better way to put it is whose laws control? In many business law niches, state laws are the guiding light, not federal law. The formation of business entities is one such place.

So, what location should you pick? In most situations, it is the state you will be conducting the business in. Remember, state law is controlling here. Nearly all states view businesses being run within their borders as falling under their jurisdiction. This means you are required to comply with the laws of the state. You are also required to pay taxes and fees the state requires for the running of your business.

Ah, but what about Nevada? For those new to the process, Nevada is touted as a great place to form your business entity. The state has very minor taxes, so many trump it as the best state to incorporate. There is, however, one problem. If you incorporate in Nevada, but run your business out of an office in your state, you are almost always violating the laws of your state. When tax agencies and regulatory groups look at business entities, the state of incorporation is not the issue. Instead, the issue is where is the business actually being conducted. If you incorporate your business in Nevada, but run it out of Los Angeles, you could be in big trouble. California will eventually figure it out. When they do, you will be penalized and assessed back taxes. It is an ugly situation.

There is one way around this situation. It involves a double incorporation strategy. Essentially, you incorporate one business in Nevada and one in your state. The Nevada entity runs the basic business. The entity in your state then manages the Nevada entity for a fee. This may sound great at first glance, but it is an expensive option. Make sure you talk with an attorney before going down this road.

If you are incorporating on your own, you should probably stick with the state you will be running the business out of. If you have other ideas, make sure to sit down with a lawyer or accountant to discuss your plan.

Gerard Simington is with FindAnAttorneyForMe.com - an online attorney directory.

Incorporate A Small Business

2008-02-05T00:43:00.000-08:00

TAXES: Incorporate and keep some of your Home Business Earnings. If you aren't incorporated you can only write off your expenses to the level of your personal marginal tax rate. If incorporated there is a large list of expenses which can be written off at 100%. Why use a Nevada Incorporation Service? WYOMING is a better choice. You can use online incorporation services and it's easier than incorporating Nevada. Delaware incorporating is 'Old Hat' for the 'Big Cats'. Florida business incorporation has nothing to compare with Wyoming.

THERE ARE NO STATE TAXES IN WYOMING ON CORPORATIONS. If you choose to incorporate in Wyoming your company may not pay State taxes at all. Stop for a minute and think what you paid last year in your States income tax. If you are comparing NEVADA and Wyoming, keep in mind that the NEVADA State Legislature, very recently, almost passed a tax on corporations. Don't gamble that this will not happen. Wyoming never has and never will have a state income tax on corporations. Wyoming has a budget surplus.

NEWS FLASH: LOSS OF PRIVACY IN NEVADA CORPORATIONS. As of June 1, 2005 NEVADA requires the Social Security number, date of birth, resident addresses, and telephone numbers of all shareholders, partners, officers, managers and members of all companies formed in the state. Read on and see why this needn't be an issue.

PRIVACY - Wyoming allows: Bearer Shares, Nominee Officers and Lifetime Proxies. Attorneys and Accountants are often asked to provide an anonymous 'company cover' for their clients, for added privacy. To do this you need to have possession of the 'bearer share' stock certificate and appoint nominee officers and/or directors for the company. This can be arranged in Wyoming. NEVADA does not have them.

STATE FEES: Wyoming initial state fees are 75% less than NEVADA's, after you include the 'HIDDEN' officer filing fees of $125, that they bill you for after you start your company and ADD the new $100 PER YEAR business license fee that they bill you after you start your company, NEVADA has one of the highest initial incorporation fees in the nation! Wyoming does not require a state business license and does not charge an officer filing fee. Wyoming's second year fee is one of the lowest in the nation at $50. All this means a quality company package in Wyoming is much less expensive overall than in NEVADA. And the subsequent years state fee will be over 77% less every year in Wyoming!

ASSET PROTECTION: A Wyoming corporation or LLC offers its officers and directors a higher degree of protection from lawsuits filed by disgruntled creditors or over zealous plaintiff attorneys. Doing business as a Wyoming Corporation or LLC can give you greater asset protection and business privacy. The more information about you that appears in the public record the easier it is for you to become a target. It's not pleasant to be targeted in our litigious society by Attorneys seeking a 'Deep Pockets' Straw Man. The assumption is that an out of court settlement is cheaper than court. Wyoming will ask only for a simple 'Annual Report' which requires disclosure of only those assets located within the state of Wyoming and the name of one person, usually the one who submits the report.

The first LLC statutes in the United States were instituted in Wyoming in 1977. Wyoming has had limited liability companies available longer than any other state and has strong laws protecting the members and managers of an LLC and also the officers and directors of C corporations.

So, Wyoming HAS: *No State Income Taxes *Privacy allowed *Shareholders are not listed with the state *Best Asset Protection Laws *Bearer Shares are allowed *Nominee officers are legal *Citizenship not required *State tax not being considered *Wyoming draws little attention *No NEVADA 'Stigma' *Lower Startup Costs

Wyoming doesn't have:

*Personal income tax *Corporate income tax *Inventory tax *Gross receipts tax *Franchise tax *Burdensome regulations *Disclosure of shareholders *Business or 'per-capita' tax *Excise tax *Sales, property and inheritance taxes are among the lowest in America

Some Other Advantages:

*Most states limit the number of shares that you are authorized to issue; in Wyoming you can issue as many shares as you wish (without any additional costs or fees) by simply making the proper entries in your Articles of Incorporation. If you intend to eventually take your company public, unlimited shares will be of great importance to you.

*Some states require that you have more than one person to serve as the various officers and directors of your corporation. In Wyoming you can be all Officers & Directors yourself. This can allow you great flexibility and control over your Corporation.

*An astonishing level of anonymity can be yours. The suggestion is NOT that you need to be 'secretive' and certainly not that you do anything illegal or even improper. Today's state of affairs can lead to your involvement in a lawsuit or litigation for merely appearing to have assets. Some consider you 'Rich' if you have money left after Taxes. This perception of 'wealth' alone can make you a target. Wyoming allows you to use 'nominee officers/directors', meaning that anyone you choose can appear on the public record in your place offering you great financial privacy. You may also use nominee or 'third party' shareholders who can be the owners of record of the stock which you control. This type of service is available on a Fee Schedule depending on the level of service required by the Client. As an officer or director you cannot be held responsible for the debts of the corporation - Wyoming law is quite strong in this respect and holds generally that as long as you did not intentionally break the law you are protected from claims against the corporation.

*Minimum Red Tape: Low annual fees - The annual fees In Wyoming are based solely on the value of corporate assets located within the state. The minimum is $50 and a million dollars worth of assets within the state of Wyoming would cost you only $200. That's right, $200 in fees for every million dollars worth of assets that you keep within the state of Wyoming. There are no fees for assets outside of the state. So almost all businesses that are incorporated here only owe a fee to the state of $50.00 per year. Wyoming requires no minimum capitalization. You can fund your corporation with as little as you wish. It is generally a good idea to capitalize at a level that is appropriate with others in your industry or business, especially if you are looking for Joint Ventures. Wyoming does not require that you hold your annual meetings in Wyoming. In fact you never actually have to set foot in the State, although The Tetons and Jackson Hole are places everyone should see. Maui makes for a nice Annual Meeting. Use your imagination.

LIFETIME PROXY: When asked late in life how he accumulated a personal net worth upwards of one billion dollars, John D. Rockefeller reportedly replied that the 'secret' was 'own nothing and control everything'. That is good advice for many reasons (no one can take from you something you don't own) but it is sometimes more easily said than done. By allowing another person or entity to own shares in a corporation, you can use proxies to maintain complete control. The problem is that most state laws require proxies to expire and be subsequently renewed every six or seven years. This could be a problem if the 'Legal Owner' decides not to renew your proxy. Wyoming allows for lifetime proxies thereby protecting you from that development.

One More Feature: If you already have a corporation - Once again Wyoming offers unparalleled flexibility. By filing a few simple forms your existing corporation can become a bona fide Wyoming Corporation. Your existing corporation can retain its original incorporation date after becoming a Wyoming corporation. Anyone examining the Wyoming public record will see a corporation dating back as far as your current corporation does. You can promptly become a Wyoming Corporation without losing the many benefits of the longevity and continuity of operation.
C R Ellsworth is retired from Corporate America and living in the 'Great Northwoods'
Incorporate A Business Now
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How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft

2008-02-04T00:40:00.000-08:00

To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take.

The most important one is to ask periodically for a copy of your credit report. This is crucial because it is the surest and quickest way to determine if someone is using your name. Your credit report should list all bank and financial accounts under your name, and will provide other indications of whether someone has wrongfully opened or used any accounts in your name. Any discrepancies should send up a red flag for you.

Next, be careful about giving out your personal information to others unless you have a reason to trust them. Start by adopting a "need to know" approach to your personal data.

Your credit card company may need to know your mother's maiden name, so that it can verify your identity when you call to inquire about your account, but a person who instead calls you does not need to know that information. Also, limit the personal information you have on your bank checks.

Be suspicious of someone who calls you on the telephone and offers you the chance to receive a credit card, for instance, and asks you for personal information. Request that he send you a written application form. If they refuse, tell them you are not interested and hang up.

If you're traveling, have your mail held at your local post office or ask someone you trust to collect your mail while you are gone.

Do not give out personal information when you are on the telephone in a public place where people can listen in to your conversation.

Check your financial information (credit report) regularly, and look for what should be there and what shouldn't.

And remember to ask periodically for a copy of your credit report.

To obtain the excellent credit report service, avoid becoming a Victim of Identity Theft, get FREE online Credit Report, make your Credit Score higher or correct your credit visit Legalhelper ( http://www.legalhelper.ws ).

Your credit score is important for obtaining credit. Your credit score is important to know, whether you need a new credit card, an auto loan, or a mortgage. Lenders use your credit scores to decide whether you are a good credit risk. If you have a high credit score, you are more likely to obtain the best rates.

Alex Katz - Security Analyst

Should I Incorporate?

2008-02-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

The most common business structures are proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. A proprietorship is simply a one-owner business. It is the most prevalent form (on the order of 70% of all businesses) because it is the simplest and least expensive to start.

A partnership is basically a proprietorship for multiple owners. Most are general partnerships, where each partner is held liable for the acts of the other partners. A limited partnership allows for general and limited partners; limited partners' liability is limited to their contributed capital.

If you choose to go into business with a partner, be sure to prepare a formal, written partnership agreement. This should address the contribution each will make to the partnership, financial and personal; how business profits and losses will be apportioned; the salaries, and financial rights of each partner, and; provisions for changes in ownership, such as a sale, succession, or desire to bring in a new partner.

The corporation is a legal entity, separate from its owners. It is a more secure and better-defined form for prospective lenders/investors. Incorporation is perceived as limiting the owner's liability, but personal guarantees are generally required whenever there is liability exposure.

The traditional form is called the C-Corporation. An S-Corporation is frequently preferable as a start-up form, since the losses expected in the early stages of the business may be applied to the owner's personal tax return. Other forms include the LLC, or Limited Liability Corporation; Trusts, often for a specific time frame or purpose, and; combinations of legal entities such as "CoOps" and joint ventures.

Enlist the legal and tax advice of the professionals as to which form suits your venture best.

Ownership Structure and Capitalization

Once the legal structure is decided upon, issues of distribution of ownership, and distribution of risks and benefits may be addressed. The primary decision to be made is whether the entrepreneur will finance the venture or whether there is a need for other stakeholders, and whether these stakeholders will be investors or lenders or some combination thereof.

Financing our venture by borrowing adds to our fixed costs, but makes no claim beyond the amount of the debt no matter how great our success. Standards for debt financing are generally very difficult for startups to meet; lenders are not generally willing to share the risk with you. If a lender turns you down, ask them for specific reasons. If the reasons cannot be countered with this lender, the insight gained can be used to strengthen the presentation to the next.

The advantage of selling shares of ownership to raise capital, referred to as equity financing, is that the investor is sharing the risks of the venture; this lowers expenses since there is no debt service to be paid. The investor also shares the rewards, however, and the entrepreneur must be careful not to sell the equity too cheaply.

What do we have to offer prospective investors? For most, their primary interest is in a high return on their investment, through dividends and appreciation. There is little appeal to most investors in being a long-term minority owner in a closely-held business, so some way of "cashing out," must be offered, such as a provision for company buy-back or a public offering.

Venture capitalists look for generally larger deals and impressive returns. Many fund projects only in specific industries; some work only from referrals from within their "network." Carol Steinberg, in "Success Selling," puts the odds of receiving venture capital funding in perspective: "Each year a venture capitalist fields 400 to 500 deals, seriously reviews 40 or 50, and funds only 4 or 5."

Less visible as a source of startup capital are individual investors, known as "angels," who typically invest $50,000 to $250,000 in private companies. While we must generally "recruit" such investors ourselves, angels are thought to represent a significant pool of risk capital.

While stakeholders are hard to find at startup, sources of assistance are available. A good starting point is the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Their Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program allows private investment partnerships, or SBICs, to leverage their own capital using SBA guarantees.

John has almost 40 years experience as a management and strategic consultant, entrepreneur, author, and college professor. For 20 of those years, Dr. Vinturella was owner/president of a distribution company that he founded. He is a principal in business opportunity sites jbv.com and muddledconcept.com

Perfectly Incorporate Full-screen Flash with PowerPoint Slides

2008-01-31T00:56:00.001-08:00

Every now and then, quite many teachers and other presenters should confront with a big challenge as this: when creating a PowerPoint slide show, you may always in need of importing a full-screen flash movie or else generate from the screen capture, and you'd like to have those objects seamlessly incorporate with the main PowerPoint slides, without any compromising, moreover, you would also have either the full-screen flash and the other slides to be played under your control.

So far, MS PowerPoint is powerful enough to let you embed Flash file in the slides using an ActiveX control, and set it to be played in full screen, however, whenever the full-screen flash triggered, you could not exit, unless you force it to, or your should edit the Actionscript in Macromedia Flash.

We, as non Flash experienced users are always on the way of seeking an cost efficient solution to achieve this, however, few ideal ones, while Wondershare PPT to Flash Studio is brought out with its full-screen flash integration, expressing its superiority in strength.

1. Download the free trial copy via http://www.sameshow.com/powerpoint-to-flash-download.html this application is absolutely clean without any spyware. The trial version is fully functional. Then install it.

2. As this application can run as standalone program or PowerPoint plug-in, it is suggested to use as the latter for more features. Launch your pre-made slides, you may found the "PPT2FLASH" on the main menu button.

3. Select "Insert Flash..." on the "PPT2FLASH" drop down menu, all the slides titles will be listed in the program in sequence, you just add the flash movie from hard drive before or after the particular slide, and the flash movie will be recognized as one slide in the whole presentation. Click "OK" to continue.

4. Select "Publish" on the "PPT2FLASH" drop down menu, choose the output type as "Publish to web", and do check the option "Export an integrated .swf file" to get an solid flash presentation. Then "Continue" and "Start".

5. When the conversion finished, locate the generated flash file in the following directory {Program Install Path}output

6. Open the flash file, there is an adjustable playback control button, it can be minimized into a round icon for clean slide view, keeping the control ability for the presentation.

PowerPoint FAQ, Free PowerPoint Templates, PowerPoint Tips. http://www.sameshow.com

Lose Weight Fast - Incorporate This Food In Any Diet & Melt The Pounds Away!

2008-01-31T00:55:00.000-08:00

Incorporate this food in your diet and you will satisfy your hunger , get lots of nutrients and it is the perfect snack so can be eaten any time.

This is one of natures most under rated foods, yet its importance should not be ignored. So what is this food?

Apples! Read on and you will see just how good they are for you and how they can help lose weight when incorporated in ANY diet.

Featured in the Bible and other ancient writings, the apple has a colorful and varied history.

Apples why they help you lose weight!

It is also well known to farmers that apples should NOT be fed to their pigs, as it satisfies them, and they eventually will not gain the desired weight.

This "secret" also applies to people, and not only will the apple help a dieter lose weight, it has amazing health benefits as you will see below.

Apples are full of goodness and protect against disease

Continuing research suggests that eating apples regularly may reduce the risk of various cancers, such as colon, prostate, and lung. Furthermore, eating apples regularly appear to aid those with heart disease and cholesterol problems.

But that is not all.

There is a group of chemicals in apples could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and senile dementia.

Amazingly the apple phenolics (naturally occurring antioxidants) and found in fresh apples, protects nerve cells from neurotoxicity. An apple a day can indeed, "keep the doctor away".

A Fantasitc source of fibre to satisfy hunger

In dieting however, the apple appears unequaled as a source of dietary fiber, moisture, micro-nutrients, vitamins (see table at end of this article), and its flavor is well-known to be satisfying as to assist with our appostat reaction (the neurological reaction that tells our body to STOP eating).

The secret is simple, effective, safe and beneficial beyond your expectations.

Have an apple before each of your meals. Three a day is recommended, but if you are hungry and need a snack, some apple juice or an apple between meals also works.

You will eat less, you will see the kilos melt away, and your health will improve.

It's as simple as that.

Further, from the Materia Medica, it is stated that the apple is a heart protector, it lowers blood cholesterol due to its pectin content, it lowers blood pressure; it regulates blood sugar; and apple juice kills infectious viruses; strengthens the nerves; acts as liver tonifier and a blood purifier.

No other fruit has so many qualities.

More than that, natural remedies (since recorded history) suggest that eating apples can cure (or assist the body to cure) the following:

jaundice and other bilious conditions, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation; atherosclerosis, hypotension; gout, arthritis; skin eruptions; anemia and lymphatic system disorders.

For the dieter, this is the ideal food.

The chemical analysis of a medium sized apple.

raw apple with skin

calories (kcal): 81 weight (g): 138 water (%): 84.1 protein (g): 0.3 fat (g): 0.5 carbohydrates (g): 21.1 unsaturated fatty acid (g): 0.4 saturated fatty acid (g): 0.1 calories from fat (%): 5.6 cholesterol (mg): 0 dietary fiber (g): 2.8 vitamin A (RE): 7 vitamin A (IU): 74 vitamin B1 (mg): 0.02 vitamin B2 (mg): 0.02 vitamin B3 (mg): 0.1 vitamin B6 (mg): 0.07 vitamin B12 (mcg): vitamin C (mg): 8 vitamin E (IU): 1 folic acid (mcg): 4 pantothenic acid (mg): 0.08 sodium (mg): 1 potassium (mg): 159 calcium (mg): 10 phosphorus (mg): 10 magnesium (mg): 6 iron (mg): 0.25 zinc (mg): 0.05 copper (mg): 0.057 manganese (mg): 0.062

natures super food!

The apple is wholesome and promotes health, it gives you a full supply of nutrients and vitamins, some important minerals, a micro amount fat, useful carbohydrates, a perfect combination of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated ones, and water.

Best of all, Apples taste good, is a natural food, and will satisfy your hunger. You cannot help but to lose weight and gain lots of other benefits to!

More FREE diet and nutrition advice

Including more on general diet and weight loss as well as general information on all areas of healthy eating our website has features, articles and downloads:

http://www.net-planet.org

Incorporate - Tips & Tricks

2008-01-29T01:27:00.000-08:00

Incorporate - Tips & Tricks

Most people who own investment real-estate, a business, or other organization should consider incorporating. There are many reasons to incorporate, but the most important one is limited liability. To have limited liability means that you will not be personally liable for the debts or obligations of the organization. For example if someone walks into your office and promptly slips on a wet floor, you may have big trouble. You may quickly find yourself in a lawsuit and lose your personal savings, home, or auto subject to claim of a lawsuit.

It may sound unthinkable and it is. But it could happen to you. What I suggest is to consult with an accountant or attorney to find out if incorporating your entity may be a wise move. Now, just because you are incorporated, doesn't mean that you will have no responsibility for the actions of your company. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you are free from all responsibiltiy. You may loose your business if you become insolvent because of a lawsuit. The limited liability protection will not protect you from this reality. But it will help you to maintain a clear separation between your business and personal assets.

So here are some tips & tricks.
1.) Form it online and you can save thousands of dollars. If you are able to ask a friend what path you need to go down, then take that knowledge online and shop for a great price.
2.) If you have a serious legal issue, or complex organization you should speak with an attorney.
3.) States like Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado allow you to file online and save both time and money.
4.) You still need a local business license.
5.) You may want to file a trademark to protect your name. It is possible to have "YourName, Inc." in all 50 states.
6.) File before you need it. It can take a couple of months to complete. There are ways to expedite, but it does cost a little more.

Hopefully these tips are useful. This article is only advice and I do suggest that you speak with an attorney in your state to get the full details to appropriately protect your wealth.
Incorporate

Insider Secrets About Corporations: Or, Why Should I Incorporate?

2008-01-28T01:16:00.001-08:00

-"Why should I incorporate? I can just do this business as a sole proprietor, right?"
-"Isn't it complicated and expensive to form a corporation?"
-"I run my business with my spouse, and we have a partnership. Why would we need to have a corporation?"

These have to be the most frequently asked questions that I--and my own financial and legal advisors--get from our clients. The vast majority of people who operate small business or home-based business are sole proprietors or mom-and-pop shop-type partners. Yet, leading authorities on small business estimate that at least 90% of all small business and home business entrepreneurs would benefit from incorporating and using a corporation as an essential component of their overall business structure.

If this is true, why do so many entrepreneurs elect to operate as sole proprietors and general partners anyway? And why would you be better off incorporating?

The answer to the first question is usually either (1)ignorance of the tremendous risks of operating in this manner or (2) lack of familiarity with corporations and other legal entities and the ease with which they can be established. I should add that if the sole proprietorship is perilous, the partnership is more than twice as bad. This is because the partnership is by default a general partnership, in which each partner is responsible for all actions of the company, including decisions made by the other partner in which she did not participate. Now that's frightening!

To answer the second question, we must first establish what a corporation is precisely. A corporation is an artificial legal entity that is separate from its owner/shareholders in the eyes of the law. The wealthy have learned that there are at least three major advantages that make the corporation an essential component of your business structure.

1. Asset Protection.

The single most important benefit of the corporation is protection it affords for your personal assets.

The corporation is created when you file appropriate documents--"Articles of Incorporation" in the United States--to the appropriate state legal authorities. A corporation cannot be formed through some private agreement between the parties who elect to form it. It can only come into being by the state in which it is formed creating it, and it has the rights and obligations established by the laws of that state.

Most important here is the notion of the corporate veil--this is the shield that separates your business assets and activities from the private person and assets of the owner/shareholder(s). Because the corporation is a separate legal person, if you are a consultant or translator, for example--or own a small store--and someone claims that that they have suffered injury from your business (say, from a poor translation or a slip on your wet floor), and files a lawsuit, only the assets of your business are in jeopardy. The claimant cannot touch your personal residence or your automobile if these are owned by you and not your corporation.

There are significant differences among individual states and the degree of protection that they afford to the corporate veil. In California, for instance, there are a number of occasions--too many for comfort--in which the corporate veil has been pierced, thus allowing financial predators to seize the personal assets of an entrepreneur. This is almost never happened in Nevada, making it the state of choice for entrepreneurs seeking asset protection.

We will be devoting a separate article to the Nevada corporation in depth in a future issue of this eNewsletter. It is important to note for now that an additional advantage of the Nevada corporation for many is that Nevada has no state income tax. If you use a Nevada corporation to conduct business in your own home state outside Nevada (such as California, our own home state), you may still be subject to state income tax. Because of the superior asset protection afforded by the Nevada corporation, however, it may still be worth while for you to establish a Nevada corporation. Large numbers of entrepreneurs from other countries as well as other states establish Nevada corporations for precisely this reason.

2. The S Corporation versus the C Corporation: Know Which is Right for You

The issue of the personal service corporation only comes up with respect to the C corporation. The other type of corporation is an S corporation, which, like the limited liability company and the limited partnership is a pass-through entity. That is to say that the corporation is itself not taxed as an entity--instead the net income passes through to the shareholders (such as a husband and wife), and is taxed on the individual tax returns of the shareholders/owners.

There are situations in which establishing an S corporation would be preferable to using a C Corporation. If you have significant income from a job, for example, and you anticipate significant losses in early years and you don't anticipate that your business will earn over $150,000, an S corporation will be your best choice. However, there are limitations on who can be members of an S corporation, and there are limits on employee benefits in an S corporation.

A sophisticated business structure will probably make use of both the C and the S corporation. On the other hand, because of the nature of corporations, you will never want to use either type of corporation to hold real estate. Instead you will want to use a limited liability company or a limited partnership. However, if you are a real estate investor, there might still be room for an S- or C-Corporation in your overall business structure. For example, a corporation could be used to manage your properties held in another entity.

Or--and this is a strategy that could be used for conducting various sorts of business-the corporation could be part of another business entity. For example, if you wish to operate a limited partnership, you will need to have a general partner. But the general partner is responsible for all decisions made and all liability resulting therefrom--the general partner, in short, has unlimited liability. Thus, an intelligent option is to use an S- or C-corporation to be the general partner. This way you have a general partner with the limited liability associated with the corporation.

3. Know How to Manage Your Corporation Properly to Keep the Corporate Veil Intact

Regardless of where you establish your corporation, you will need to make sure that you observe appropriate formalities--otherwise your corporate veil can be pierced very easily, thereby defeating the entire purpose of setting it up. Even if you have an accountant who handles your bookkeeping and tax returns, it remains your responsibility to assure that you are doing this correctly.

This involves holding regular meetings and maintaining minutes in your record book, issuing stock certificates, and other formalities. We recommend that you consult one of the resources recommended on our resources pages for help in doing this (http://www.wealthstrategies202.com/resources.htm).

The Personal Service Corporation

A final issue that may arise, particularly for independent consultants, translators, and other professionals, concerns the "Personal Service Corporation." There are two separate categories of professionals who may be affected by this problem: Those, such as lawyers, accountants, psychologists, and health care professionals, who are required by their state laws to incorporate as professional corporations. These corporations are automatically classified by the IRS as personal service corporations.

In addition, the IRS has broadened the definition of "personal service" to include any work, such as translation or consulting, that is personally rendered by the owner/shareholder. This is of particular concern if you are operating on your own as an individual or as a couple. If 95% or more of your earnings come from work in that personal service activity, the corporation becomes qualified as a personal service corporation.

The reason that this is of concern is that a personal service corporation incorporated as a C corporation is subject to a flat 35 percent tax rate and to a lower ceiling ($150,000) for application of the accumulated earnings tax (normally $250,000). However, this is not an insurmountable obstacle to enjoying the benefits of incorporating:

1. First, the other advantages of incorporating still render the C corporation preferable to operating using another structure, such as the sole proprietor. It may be especially attractive if otherwise a high earning couple might be subject to a higher tax bracket.

2. Secondly, it is possible to structure your activities so that more than 5% of the activity is derived from work that falls outside the scope of personal services rendered by the owner/shareholder. For example, a translator or consultant might have a branch of the business involved in network marketing--as a medical professional might have a health food store or other income producing activity--so that the corporation is no longer qualified as a personal service corporation.

As you can see, the corporation is an extremely valuable tool, one that the wealthy have used extremely effectively. If you are operating as an independent entrepreneur and are not using a corporation or the popular alternative of the limited liability company, you are most likely handicapping yourself, limiting your profitability and paying excessive taxes. With the resources that we have available today, especially over the internet, there is no reason that the average individual cannot easily begin to take advantage of this valuable tool. We currently have 3 entities that we formed ourselves and that cost us just the cost of the various resources that we purchased plus the filing fees required by the State of California and postage to get these set up. And we have made sure to obtain the proper forms through the sources we list on our Resources page so that we can maintain the legality of these entities.

"Can't I wait and start out as a sole proprietor or partner and incorporate later?" we are often asked.

Certainly, if you don't mind exposing all your personal assets to risk, paying higher taxes, and finding yourself more likely to be subject to an IRS audit. Some people prefer to do things the hard way--but, armed with the right information and resources, there's no reason why you should have to.

Even if you decide to allow a tax attorney to help you with the formalities, it is better to do so armed with the knowledge you need to judge whether the recommendations she makes are in fact in your best interest.

At the very least, you'll know enough to head immediately for the nearest exit if any ?expert? you consult tells you that you ?don't need? to establish a legal entity to run your business.

Germaine A. Hoston, Ph.D. is President and Treasurer of Azur Pacific Associates, a consulting and translation firm and distributor of the Secret Millionaire Asset Security System and Eventis wealth-building courses. Get a free gift when you sign up for her free wealth structuring eNewsletter for entrepreneurs at http://www.wealthstrategies202.com.

Who Can You Trust to Incorporate Your Business?

2008-01-24T23:27:00.002-08:00

If you have decided that it's time that your business becomes incorporated, and that a Limited Liability Company (usually referred to as an LLC) is the best entity, then your question is going to be: who do I use.

First, you should know that forming an LLC is not rocket science. Any halfway decent attorney or online incorporation company will be able to handle the paperwork.
What it really comes down to is cost and the amount of hand-holding you need through the process.

Your three options are (in order of descending cost and ascending effort):

1. Have an attorney handle everything.

2. Hire an online incorporation company.

3. Fill out the paperwork yourself.

Hiring an attorney: This option costs the most but requires the least effort on your part. You tell the attorney that you need your business incorporated or need an LLC, and you'll soon have one. Any attorney that is fit to hold a license should be able to do this with no problem. If there is a problem, then you can always sue them for malpractice.

Hire an online incorporation company: Hiring an online incorporation company is the most common path. It costs less than hiring an attorney and your company will be just as legal. You'll have to learn a bit more, like what is a registered agent and do you need to pay $125+ per year for it. All incorporation companies perform the same basic service of complying with state law to form a business entity. The major differences are price and whether you can order services individually or must take a more expensive package.

Do it yourself: It is possible to form an LLC yourself by filling out what are called Articles of Organization. A legal LLC in any State requires the filing of the Articles and payment of a registration fee to the State. The forms are actually relatively simple to fill out--most are only 1-2 pages long. Here's a list of where you can find Articles of Organization by State.

In addition to filing the articles, you will also pay a fee to the state in which you're forming your LLC. These fees are unavoidable if you want to incorporate. Fees are set by each state individually, and range from under $100 to several hundred. Some states charge extra for expedited filing. When companies advertise "Incorporate for only $49!", look to the fine print--because the $49 is the company's fee only. The state gets a fee in addition.

It is possible to save hundreds of dollars by forming an LLC yourself. If you're willing to spend a few minutes filling out a 1-2 page form, you can form your own legal LLC without a lawyer.

Deciding Which State To Incorporate Your Small Business In

2008-01-24T23:27:00.001-08:00

Once you've decided to incorporate your small business the next step is deciding which state to incorporate in. A common misconception is that businesses must incorporate in their state of operation. You can, in fact, incorporate in any one of the 50 states and the District of Columbia regardless of where your business currently operates.

It is perfectly acceptable to incorporate in a state other than your current area of operation, but it is not always a good idea to do so. If your company chooses to incorporate in a state outside its area of operation life becomes a little more complicated. Your business becomes a "foreign corporation" in any state outside of the state it is incorporated in. If a corporation is "transacting business" in a state other than where it is incorporated, it must register for a certificate of authority to transact business in the other state or possibly lose access to that state's courts and face fines.

Registering for a certificate of authority, of course, costs money and is only one step in the process of qualifying to do business as a "foreign corporation" in another state.

There are advantages to incorporating in different states with regard to corporate laws and tax structure. Delaware is by far the most popular state for incorporation. Most of the fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware.

Some of the most attractive features of incorporating in Delaware include:

1. Lack of corporate income tax for corporations incorporated in Delaware but not transacting business in the state.

2. Delaware has a separate corporate law system that uses judges appointed for their knowledge of corporate law as opposed to juries, whose knowledge of corporate law is limited at best.

3. Shares of stock owned by persons outside of Delaware are not subject to Delaware taxes. For a small business deciding weather or not to incorporate in Delaware it is necessary to measure the cost of qualifying as a "foreign corporation" in the state of operation versus the amount that will be saved by incorporating a small business in Delaware. Typically it is not advantageous for small businesses to incorporate outside of their home state as even small businesses are usually required to pay corporate taxes in both the state of foreign operation and the state of incorporation. Jacob Wren operates Small Business Assistance - a resource site for entrepreneurs that offers advice on small business incorporating and an array of other small business topics.

How To Incorporate Yourself Without A Lawyer

2008-01-23T02:02:00.000-08:00

You could save hundreds of dollars by incorporating yourself without a lawyer. How? Is it advisable to do so?

1. This is Not Legal Advice!

The only ones who should be giving legal advice are those licensed to practise law (in other words, only lawyers). This article is not legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult a lawyer.

This article is being written simply to inform you that it is possible to form a corporation or limited liability company without a lawyer.

2. Why Use a Lawyer?

First of all, if you make a mistake incorporating yourself, who do you sue? You only have yourself to blame. On the other hand, a lawyer has insurance to cover errors and omissions.

Secondly, you could benefit from the expertise of your lawyer. Perhaps a corporation isn`t the right vehicle for you under your circumstances. Be aware that there can be disadvantages as well as advantages to incorporating. Your lawyer can consider commercial law, securities legislation, limited liability, tax factors, estate planning, share structure, and a myriad of other business considerations. Sometimes the advice of a good lawyer can save you thousands of dollars.

3. Is it Advisable to Incorporate Yourself?

Is it advisable to perform surgery on yourself? It is illegal to perform surgery on someone else unless you are licensed to practise medicine, but perhaps in a wilderness survival scenario, self-surgery might be your only option. However, is performing surgery on yourself really a good idea in most instances?

Likewise, just because it is possible to incorporate yourself without a lawyer doesn`t mean it is always a good idea.

In some jurisdictions, only lawyers can incorporate others. For a paralegal or other person to incorporate a company for you could be considered unauthorized practise of law. Thus, it may be legal to incorporate yourself but not others.

Some factors you might consider are: Am I really that short of cash that I can`t spend the extra money for good legal advice that may save me thousands of dollars? Am I confident that my situation is one that really doesn`t need the services of a lawyer to incorporate? Can the money saved on legal fees be better utilized in financing other aspects of my business?

Each person will have to make their own decision on whether or not to seek the services of a lawyer in forming a corporation.

"He who has himself as a lawyer has a fool for a client." I have often thought that perhaps a law firm originated this common expression.

4. How To Incorporate Yourself

Many books have been written by lawyers on how to incorporate yourself.

For example, in Canada, M. Stephen Georgas, LL.B., has written books on the subject of forming
your own corporation. Published by International Self-Counsel Press Ltd., he has authored
"Incorporation and Business Guide for Ontario" ("How to form your own corporation Includes tax advantages to incorporating") and "Federal Incorporation And Business Guide" ("How to form your own Federal corporation under The Canada Business Corporations Act").

The same publisher sells forms and minute books as well as titles for incorporating in other provinces of Canada.

Forms, corporate supplies, name searches, and kits are available from legal stationers and other sources.

In the United States, there are likewise many manuals available for incorporating yourself in various states. "Incorporating Your Business For Dummies" by The Company Corporation and "How To Form Your Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $75.00" by Ted Nicholas are two such books.

Sometimes helpful information on this subject is available from federal, provincial and state governments for free or nominal cost.

You can sometimes locate incorporation manuals at your local library for free. Be careful. Legal manuals become outdated very rapidly. You might consider very seriously purchasing the most up-to-date manual available; it might also include helpful reference material on maintaining corporate minutes and other helpful suggestions on operating your corporation.

Buy the appropriate manual and supplies and then follow the instructions. With a little effort, you could save hundreds of dollars incorporating yourself without a lawyer.

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years. To learn more about incorporating yourself and other profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/incorporation.html

Small Business Tax Trap #1: Waiting To Incorporate -- What A Difference A Date Can Make

2008-01-19T00:33:00.000-08:00

If you're a sole proprietor, perhaps you've considered incorporating your small business or self-employment activity.

And so maybe you've been wondering, "When is the best time to incorporate?"

>From a legal standpoint, any time is the best time. The sooner you incorporate, the sooner you make the move from the world of unlimited liability to the world of limited liability.

>From a tax savings standpoint, any time is the best time. The sooner you incorporate, the sooner you will start putting more money in your own pocket and less in Uncle Sam's.

(For more about the potential tax savings of a corporation, see the second article in this series -- "Tax Trap #2: Double Taxation -- Isn't Once Enough?" http://www.YouSaveOnTaxes.com/tax-trap-2.html)

But from a **tax reporting** standpoint, there is one time of year that stands out as best: January 1st.

Why is that?

Assuming you have a sole proprietorship (or other entity, such as a partnership) that is up and running as of January 1, and assuming you then incorporate that existing entity on any date other than January 1, you face the possibility of filing not one but two business income tax returns for that year.

Here's an example to clarify this important point . . .

Let's say you've been operating your sole proprietorship for a few years, and in early 2006 you decide to incorporate. In January you get around to starting the paperwork, but life gets in the way and you finally get it done in late February. By the time your state processes the Articles of Incorporation, the start date of your new corporation is March 1.

For 2006, you must file a Schedule C for the period of January 1 through February 28, when your business was still a Sole Proprietorship. And you must also file a corporate income tax return for March 1 through December 31.

Maybe that's no big deal. Maybe you enjoy filing one business income tax return so much, filing a second one doesn't bother you. And it may be that the inconvenience of filing two tax returns in 2006 is far outweighed by the legal and tax advantages of incorporating.

Keep in mind, too, that 2006 will be the only year you have to do this "double duty". In 2007 you will only have to file the corporate income tax return.

But if you are thinking about incorporating, the best time to do it, from a tax paperwork standpoint, is as of January 1. Only then do you have a "clean break" from the old sole proprietorship to the new corporation.

This timing issue can also be relevant if you decide to make the switch late in the year. If the effective date of the incorporation is November 15, you will have to file a Schedule C for January 1 through November 14, and a corporate return for November 15 through December 31. In that scenario, you should ask yourself, "Do the benefits of incorporating outweigh the convenience of waiting until January 1?"

So before you decide when to incorporate, take a moment to reflect on the tax reporting consequences of incorporating on January 1 vs. any other date.

Sometimes it may make sense to wait a few weeks (as in the second example), and sometimes it makes sense to "do it now", especially when January 1 is nearby.

Wayne M. Davies is author of 3 tax-slashing ebooks for small business owners and the self-employed. For a free copy of Wayne's 25-page report "How To Instantly Double Your Deductions" visit http://www.YouSaveOnTaxes.com.

How To Incorporate Adsense Into Your Online Affiliate Marketing

2008-01-18T01:36:00.001-08:00

A lot of people are lured by affiliate marketing because it can be financially rewarding, even if you just stay at home. Affiliate marketing programs are best alternatives to those who are sick and tired of their arduous daily work just to climb up the venerated corporate ladder. You don't need products to sell, you just have to market them in your own web site and you don't have to worry about processing the customers' payments and the shipment of the products. If you are already into affiliate marketing, probably you were thinking about these benefits, too, before deciding to join an affiliate program.

Of course you want earn huge amount of commission. Who would not want it anyway? Keep in mind, however, that affiliate marketing cannot guarantee you instant success if you don't work on it. There are a lot of ways of maximizing your income. The Internet is a huge library of information, use it to learn of other opportunities and ways to increase your income. You can partner with several merchandisers and promote different products in your website; thereby, increasing your chance to earn a commission.

The easiest way for you to rev up your revenue potential is by incorporating Google AdSense into your marketing campaigns. What is Google AdSense? What are its advantages? How can it boost my revenues? These are some of the questions you might want to ask. Let's try to probe into Google AdSense, so you would know how it could help you in your affiliate marketing program.

In order to boost your revenues through Google AdSense, you must pay attention to making web pages of high value topics. Make contents related to high-paying ads, so you can earn more. Some ads pay only a few cents while some ads pay you dollars just for a single click. You would need to do a little research on this so you can come up with a more relevant content. Join affiliate marketing forums and get tips from experienced affiliate marketers.

Strike while the iron is hot! Take advantage of the favorable circumstances the Internet is offering you. Make the most of your affiliate marketing opportunities, use Google AdSense!

Author is writter for sites such as Information Today

When Is The Best Time To Incorporate Your Small Business?

2008-01-18T01:35:00.001-08:00

If you're a sole proprietor, perhaps you've considered incorporating your small business or self-employment activity.

And so maybe you've been wondering, "When is the best time to incorporate?"

From a legal standpoint, any time is the best time. The sooner you incorporate, the sooner you make the move from the world of unlimited liability to the world of limited liability.

From a tax savings standpoint, any time is the best time. The sooner you incorporate, the sooner you will start putting more money in your own pocket and less in Uncle Sam's.

But from a **tax reporting** standpoint, there is one time of year that stands out as best: January 1st.

Why is that?

Here's an example to clarify this important point . . .

Keep in mind, too, that 2006 will be the only year you have to do this "double duty". In 2007 you will only have to file the corporate income tax return.

So before you decide when to incorporate, take a moment to reflect on the tax reporting consequences of incorporating on January 1 vs. any other date.

Sometimes it may make sense to wait a few weeks (as in the second example), and sometimes it makes sense to "do it now", especially when January 1 is nearby.

Wayne M. Davies is author of 3 tax-slashing eBooks for small business owners and the self-employed. For a free copy of Wayne's 25-page report, "How To Instantly Double Your Deductions" visit http://www.YouSaveOnTaxes.com

Incorporate Humor in Your Next Speech

2008-01-17T02:19:00.000-08:00

by: Stephen D. Boyd

Some speakers say, I could never use humor in my speech; I just dont feel comfortable with it. I believe that anyone can use humor and that it is a valuable tool in speaking. Appropriate humor relaxes an audience and makes it feel more comfortable with you as the speaker; humor can bring attention to the point you are making; and humor will help the audience better remember your point. It can break down barriers so that the audience is more receptive to your ideas.

First, let me make it easy for you to use humor. The best and most comfortable place to find humor for a speech is from your own personal experience. Think back on an embarrassing moment that you might have thought not funny at the time. Now that you can laugh at the experience, you understand the old adage "Humor is simply tragedy separated by time and space." Or think of a conversation that was funny. Remember the punch line and use it in your speech. Probably the least risky use of humor is a cartoon. The cartoon is separate from you and if people don't laugh, you don't feel responsible. (Be sure to secure permission to use it.) You're not trying to be a comedian; you just want to make it easy for people to pay attention and to help them remember your point.

Here are some suggestions on using humor to make your next speech have more impact.

1. Make sure the humor is funny to you. If you dont laugh or smile at the cartoon, joke, pun, one-liner, story, or other forms of humor, then you certainly cannot expect an audience to do so. A key to using humor is only using humor that makes you laugh or smile.

2. Before using humor in your speech, try it out with small groups of people. Do they seem to enjoy it? Even if your experimental group does not laugh or smile initially, dont give up on the humor, because the problem might be in the way you are delivering the joke or quip. I often use this line in talking about the importance of listening. We are geared to a talk society. Someone said, The only reason we listen is so we can talk next!' When I first tried that line, people did not smile; but I worked on the timing so that I paused and smiled after listen and that seemed to work. I was rushing through the punch line and did not give people time to be prepared for the humorous part. It took practice to get comfortable with the piece of humor. Only use humor in a speech after you are comfortable telling it from memory and have tested it.

3. Make sure the humor relates to the point you are making. Do not use humor that is simply there to make the audience laugh. The humor should tie in with some aspect of your speech. For example, I tell about my experience of getting braces at age 46 and how difficult it was for me to get used to the wires and rubber bands in my mouth. After I tell the story I make the point that you may have not had the braces problem I had, but we all have challenges in communicating well, and what we want to look at today are ways of making it easier for us to be more effective in speaking. The audience enjoys the story but also remembers the point that I'm making. If you dont tie your humor to your presentation, the audience may like the humor, but will wonder what point you are attempting to make.

4. Begin with something short. A starting point might be to summarize a cartoon and give the caption as your humor. A thought-provoking yet clever line about a point you are making is another way to get started. For example, when I talk about creativity and getting out of your comfort zone, a line I found that worked well was, Orville Wright did not have a pilots license. In your reading, look for lines that make you smile; consider how they might be used in your next speech. Be careful about launching into a long humorous story--audiences are quick to forgive a single line that may not be funny, but they do not have much patience with a long anecdote that isnt worth the time. So start out with brief bits of humor.

5. When possible, choose humor that comes from people you interact with. You do not have to worry about people having heard it before, and you will feel more comfortable with what has happened to you. Find such experiences by looking for a humorous line or situation. For example, I was making a bank deposit recently at a drive-in window. When I asked to make a second deposit, the teller said solemnly, Im sorry, sir, but youll have to go around the bank a second time to make a second deposit. We both laughed and I may have a line to work into a speech. If you have small children, listen for something they say that might be funny to an audience as well. Art Linkletter made a great living on the notion that Kids say the darndest things.

6. Dont preview by saying, Let me tell you a funny story. Let the audience decide for themselves. Look pleasant and smile as you launch into your funny line, but if no one smiles or laughs then just move on as though you meant for it to be serious. This approach takes the pressure off as you relate the humor. Remember you are not a comedian entertaining the audience; you are a serious speaker seeking to help the audience remember and pay attention by using humor as a tool.

Humor is simply another way of making a point with your audience, and it can help you be a more effective speaker. Look at humor as a tool in improving your speech in the manner of attention devices, smooth transitions, and solid structure. Remember, A smile is a curve that straightens out a lot of things.

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is a professor of speech communication at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He works with organizations that want to speak and listen more effectively to increase personal and professional performance. He can be reached at 800-727-6520 or visit http://www.sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.steve@sboyd.com

How To Incorporate Adsense Into Your Affiliate Marketing

2008-01-13T23:08:00.001-08:00

Strike while the iron is hot! Take advantage of the favorable circumstances the Internet is offering you. Make the most of your affiliate marketing opportunities, use Google AdSense!

William Nabaza of http://www.Nabaza.com specializes in domains, webhosting, webmaster's tools, netpreneur's articles and resources. Stands out as a freebie provider, business opportunity provider and the like. Visit his site at http://www.nabaza.com or contact him directly at william@nabaza.com more free articles here: http://www.nabaza.com/resources.htm

How To Successfully Incorporate A New Member Into Your Team

2008-01-13T23:07:00.001-08:00

2002 Kathi Graham-Leviss
http://www.xbcoaching.com

Often times, adding a new employee to the mix can be difficult. Even when hiring a person who is fully qualified to perform in the fashion you need, there will be an adjustment period.

Getting used to how things are done at your company - and getting used to communicating well with new people - takes time. Learning what to expect from a new environment can be stressful for a new hire. As a leader, there are specific actions you can take to ensure the transition is successful and a positive experience for everyone involved.

Be A Good Role Model

This sounds clich, but in reality, it is vitally important. The new hire will be looking for an example to follow. That example should come from you. Since showing makes a greater impression that telling, make a point to display the qualities of: responsibility, cooperation, and team unity. This will demonstrate excellence, and provide a baseline of expected behavior for your new team member.

Communicate Effectively

Especially in the first month of employment, ensure that tasks are completely understood, are supervised (either directly or indirectly), and are accomplished with the expected results. To do this, you will need several tools in your arsenal.

It is essential to clearly define the job responsibilities with a written job description. This should include the expectations of the job.

In addition, you, as the manager, should not only understand your own behavioral style, but also that of your new hire. This will help in numerous ways, including defining the motivational triggers of the new employee, and how the new employee likes to be managed based on his or her behavioral design.

For a short time, you might consider creating a checklist for each task. As you cover each area of the project with your new hire, mark the item off your list. Make a point to ask if the new employee has any questions regarding the tasks, what resources are available within the company to complete the project, and which departments might offer assistance. Also, track how the communication is working and make adjustments when needed.

Train People As A Team

When conducting training, incorporate the entire team. Being a new employee creates an immediate damper on ones self-confidence. When that new hire is singled out, the rift between them and me widens. Everyone can use a review of company resources, expected protocol and policies and procedures. Whenever possible, include all team members in training sessions.

Making Sound and Timely Decisions

Those new to your team will be dependant on you for knowledge, focus and clarity. When managers waiver in their decision making, or when decisions are handed down with proper timing, it sends a message of confusion and lack of organization. Before announcing your decisions on a given matter, take the time you need to ensure these decisions are both sound and timely.

With proper time and some guidance from you, your new hire will soon be flourishing in his/her position. Youll find a productive member of your team that contributes, and helps to build a more valuable workplace for all on the team.

Kathi Graham-Leviss is Certified Coach and Behavioral Analyst who assists companies with defining and developing their Human Resource practices. Visit her Web site today for additional information on the 4-Step Hiring Process and DISC Behavioral Assessments. http://www.xbcoaching.com

Disincorporate And Decentralize

2008-01-10T23:26:00.001-08:00

If it seems that big government and big business are in bed together it is only because they are - father and child. Government defines a corporation as an artificial person. Amen! What if we chose not to do business with artificial persons and traded only with real people? Incorporation is a privilege sold to business by governments. The business receives limited liability, which is to say, limited responsibility. As we have recently seen, a corporation can make fortunes for its operators while stealing from everyone else. The owners are safe from prosecution because they have a government immunity privilege they may have paid millions for, over the years, paid by taxes collected for their creators.

They are the tentacles of the government octopus and major tax collectors. That the creators would bend over backwards to help and protect them is a matter of self preservation and public record. Outlaw incorporation or irresponsibility and the father/child incest comes to an end. So does the whole industry of corporate law. Don't you just love it when a single solution solves many problems? What would things cost if lawyers didn't get a cut of everything?

Easier said than done, huh? Government wants it. Business wants it. Who doesn't? Only those who are tired of the rip offs, poisonings, degraded environment, social repression and all the negative isms, bald faced self interests have created. Protesters are a minority and we all know this is "democracy" where majority rules. Why, if it was not for government and corporations, we would have no jobs and we would all die. Other paid work is just not reliable enough for us. It makes us insecure. We live for paydays. Aaah, there is the rub.

We enter the corporate world by pledge and agreement. We give up our natural rights for the corporate society, the corporate life. We become the bedrock support for the system and rarely know the difference, as we protest the materialism, which cannot exist without our tacit approval and us. When we protest the deeds of power and influence, we protest because it is not ours also. We are excluded from the table. A two sided triangle with only the people missing. It just isn't fair and we hate things when they aren't fair. Don't ask me to fix it. I've got a job, a family and no time for politics. The whole thing can wait for someone who does, and wait and wait.

When professional lawmakers and bureaucrats run the government, workers are not going to change the laws in any meaningful way. Their only real option is to withdraw support from the corporate world and create a non-corporate life. This is decentralization of power and government. It occurs proportionately to the withdrawal of support. If you support that which you despise, you are just another hypocrite. Shut up and do your job, which is your duty. Spend all your money on what you are told. That is your corporate duty too, Ms. Consumer. Let us compete with each other for corporate favor and privilege, as we have been taught so many years. Let us do nothing for ourselves for which we can somehow hire professionals. Let us not govern ourselves. Let us pay someone to govern us. Let us not heal our illnesses, let us hire medicine men. Let us not grow our own food, make our own clothes, build our own homes.

Corporate creatures can hire all things done. When we are finally and gratefully, utterly dependent on folks who mock and despise us, let us cry out with a loud voice, this isn't fair! Let us point our fingers at them and demand satisfaction. Our demands are like spitting into the wind. Let us congratulate ourselves for voting and protesting and go back to our corporate lives. This is not just what it means to be American these days, it is what it means to be Western and civilized. Do as you are told and don't forget to vote for more, more, more of every good thing. This we call freedom. Your children and grandchildren will too, because the corporate world will "educate" them, as they did you and me. In this they never cease, day nor night. In school, on radio, TV and all the major media. Think like this - do like that. And we do.

If we are going to change any of this, we must first change us, which also happens to be the easiest thing to do. Isn't that a happy coincidence? If we will end our own corporate support and enslavement, it begins with that simple question. How can I? Don't expect to receive answers to questions we refuse to ask. Can I have what I really want outside the corporate world? The answer is yes. You can choose not to buy from the corporate world, or at least buy a lot less of it and used, for starters. Likewise, you can choose not to sell to the corporate world and for the first time, your business will be nobody else's. How much you earn or spend is no one's business but yours. How you earn and on what you spend is also highly personal business that becomes semi public the minute you do business with the corporate world. If you work wisely, you can do work you love for more money and less hours than is possible in the corporate world. You don't have to buy million dollar ads on TV to sell your products or services to enough people to earn a comfortable living. You have eliminated the hidden costs of the corporate world.

As more of the Western world comes out of Mystery Babylon, of which the World Trade Center was symbolic, the corporate world fades further in its economic power and influence. Politicians must look elsewhere for campaign financing. We get some relief from the incessant advertising that greases corporate wheels. We separate from a 20th Century machine as we refuse to be cogs in it. The corporate value system is that of the world. It is revealed in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 18, as the merchandise of Babylon - a long list from the highest value to the lowest. At the top is gold, followed by silver and precious stones. At the very bottom are slaves, followed by the souls of men. Does this value system seem familiar? It should, it is over 3,000 years old. When we reject this value system, we must operate from some other. Can we take the least valued thing in the Babylonian system and make it the most valuable? Let us disincorporate our lives and the world.

edhowes@hotmail.com
Bedinghamstudio/view.com

Working With Passion: How to Incorporate More Magic into Your Work and Life

2008-01-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

When's the last time that you told someone that you are passionate about your work? If you're like most people, you probably don't even associate the word passion with your job. In last month's Red Ladder survey, only 34% of respondents said that they do not wake up easily or feel excited about the day ahead. Only 44% of respondents felt that they were doing their best work and living up to their full potential. Further, 56% of respondents indicated that they would like to pursue new interests but often procrastinate or feel paralyzed, and thus, do nothing. Doesn't that make you feel sad?

So, what is passion? According to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, passion can be defined as an object of desire or deep interest, or an intense emotion compelling action. You know when you see someone that has passion for what they are doing. They typically exhibit high energy and the ability to put 100% focus on moving something forward no matter what the obstacles are. You know who these people are. Their energy is contagious and most of us are attracted to them like moths to a spotlight because we'd like even a small part of the energy that they exude in the world.

For me, passion is about doing work that resonates with my core values and is aligned with my heart's true desire. I want to help other women (and men) successfully navigate corporate challenges and be successful in their careers. This passion plays out in numerous ways in my work as a management consultant, project manager and coach to organizations of all sizes and, as a seminar leader and keynote speaker.

I recently met a woman at an author event at Bound to Be Read in St. Paul, MN. The topic was on earning what you're worth, an area that I not only feel passionate about but am knowledgeable about as well. One of the keys to earning what you're worth is doing something that you have passion for.

This young woman seemed very discouraged and de-energized with her work at a large medical company. It was clear she had no passion for what she was doing. When I asked her about what she had passion for, she was able to articulate it immediately and with much energy. However, she then proceeded to tell me that she didn't see anyway to tie that passion to a job. With the limited information that she shared, I rattled off several ideas and contacts for her to explore.

Before parting ways, we exchanged business cards. When I went home that night, I wrote a quick inspirational note and mailed it off to her the next day. Below is an excerpt from an email she sent me in response.

"It was such a delight to get your letter in the mail! It really made my day and kept the momentum going, that I really do need to pursue my dreams instead of just being willing to accept any position in the company. I had written about you in my journal the night we met - your energy and confidence really made an impression on me and I wrote about how I wanted to really feel and exhibit those qualities. Then I got your note - what a joy to have another touch point."

The magic about working with passion is that it usually only takes a small belief in yourself to start making things happen. Here are a few questions to get you started:

1. What is your passion inviting you to do?

2. What would your life be like if you were able to incorporate some aspect of your passion into your work life every day?

3. How would working with your passion benefit you? Your company?

4. What obstacles are standing in your way?

5. What is one small step you could take to move you forward and begin working with your passion today?

In the words of author H. Jackson Browne, "Find a job you like and you add five days to every week." The only way I know how to do that is to work with passion. So, what are you waiting for?
Regina Barr is a management consultant and speaker with a special passion for helping women achieve leadership success. Regina helps companies develop strategies to attract, develop and retain women leaders. Her consulting firm, Red Ladder, Inc., also helps organizations and their leaders develop their full
potential through strategic project management and coaching. For more information visit http://www.RedLadder.comor http://www.RedLadder.blogs.com

How To Incorporate Exercise Into Everyday Life

2008-01-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

With many of us having sedentary jobs that demand little or no exercise at all, finding time outside of our work environment for exercise has become increasingly important. Lack of exercise is linked to many conditions and illnesses, such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Exercising sufficiently does not mean you need to become a workout wonder at the gym, or that you need to jog five miles a day. Exercise can be incorporated into your daily life so that it feels a natural part of your life, and a natural part of who you are. This article will show you various ways in which to achieve this.

If you can, exercise out doors as far as possible. There are two advantages of doing whatever you are doing outside. One advantage is that it gives your body a chance rejuvenate in fresh air and, hopefully, some sunshine. Secondly, a change of scene helps keep you perked up and it is a break from remaining cooped up all day long.

Try to collect some information about exercise, there are a lot of things that you can do at home. Extensive research has been done on exercise and plenty of this information is easily available.

You can try browsing the net or getting a book or two on how to exercise at home. This information will be useful to you to know how much you need to work out on each specific exercise in order to burn off a desired number of calories.

A very important element of a lasting commitment to exercise is motivation. It can help to have somebody exercise along with you. Try to find someone who is committed, or else your own interest might dwindle. One of the advantages of getting a committed person to exercise with you is that it keeps you going. There may be days when you feel just too lazy to crawl out of bed in the mornings. On such days, the knowledge that somebody is waiting for you is enough to slide out of bed. You can also discuss your progress and fears with another person and be a sympathetic listener to the other person as well. This is a fine way of maintaining your motivation.

To start with, keep it gentle, and take one step at a time. Stop when you are out of breath or when a certain part of your body tells you that it has had enough. It's important not to overdo it, in case you cause injury, or just find it so hard going that you give up. Allow time for your body to respond to your exercise routine, and increase the level of exercise that you do very gradually.

Select an exercise pattern to suit your life style. All of us have different life styles and professions so there is no sense in trying to follow the book strictly. Try and follow an exercise routine that is suitable for you. You have to understand that even more important than the exercise itself is sticking to it. So unless you choose something that can suit your life style, you are not going to stick on to it.

Walking everywhere as much as possible is ideal. Choose to walk rather than catch the bus. Choose to walk for an hour at lunchtime rather than continuing to sit at your desk having a sandwich - make sure you enjoy it, so if you can, walk in the fresh air around a park, listen to the birds and enjoy watching the activities of others who may be exercising around you. Choose to walk rather than stand - pacing about, even in a fairly meaningless way, can be very beneficial. If you are thinking deeply about something, try pacing about, it will aid in your thinking.

Try watching less TV. Usually doing something else other than watching TV will involve more activity, whether it's catching up on housework, doing a spot of gardening, or engaging in some DIY. The sense of achievement you feel afterwards will be worth more than any enjoyment you got from watching TV. What's more, watching TV is linked to eating unnecessarily, and usually unhealthily. Resolve to watch only say two or three of your favourite programs, and the rest of the time switch it off, and listen to some music or the radio instead.

Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Elevators are one hell of a convenience particularly if you have to go up or down some twenty floors. But elevators also make us very lazy.

Don't feel any particular need to go running. Walking can be just as beneficial. Fifteen minutes of brisk walking a day is enough to keep fitness at a reasonable level, though half an hour or more if you can is ideal. Try making a habit of going for a walk after lunch, or after dinner. Or get out of bed just half an hour earlier and enjoy the fresh morning air and the quietness of being outside before breakfast.

The golden rule is to make it a habit to be as active as possible. Avoid things that encourage you to be sedentary. Keep doing your exercise for at least thirty days - this will help habitualize your increased levels of activity, and help ensure that you keep doing it. And the health benefits will last you a (much increased) lifetime. http://www.topexercisetips.com

Jed Turner
More tips on incorporating exercise into a healthier lifestyle can be found at http://www.topexercisetips.com.

Self Care and the Freelance Writer: 8 Steps to Incorporate Self Nurturing into Your Writing Routine

2008-01-08T23:24:00.000-08:00

All of us have suffered from it at one time or another, the dreaded word “burnout.” We often think, “Oh, I’ll just power through this.” Or “I’ve got a deadline to meet I can’t possibly stop now, I won’t get this project done on time.” I used to be one of these myself. We often find that as burnout sneaks up on us, we become even more frantic to meet the deadline, complete just one more chapter, or write one more article. However, what we don’t realize is that we’ve been going at breakneck speed for days, weeks, sometimes even months and years. At no point have we given ourselves the opportunity to breathe, relax, think about other things for a moment, or spend time with our friends and family. This is a not a good thing, and it can quickly lead to more serious health problems than burnout, such as depression, anxiety, even panic attacks.

So, what can you do as a freelance writer to prevent or at the very least minimize burnout, and other stress related health problems? Here are some ideas:

1. Take short breaks of 15 minutes after every two or three hours of writing.

2. Take an hour lunch break.

3. Decide ahead of time what is a reasonable amount of time to work on your projects per day and stick to it. When you get to the time that you’ve determined is the end of your day, then turn your computer off, and clean up your desk just as if it were the end of the day at a real job.

4. Have an exercise plan in place and make sure you stay with it. If you don’t already have one in place, begin one. Yoga is a wonderful way to get exercise, tone your muscles and de-stress. I highly recommend it.

5. Make a point of eating a healthy diet.

6. Make time for the things you enjoy both by yourself and with others.

7. Learn to meditate and take short meditation breaks throughout your day, or one longer one.

8. Take a walk, breathe fresh air, and take in the images of what is around you. This is also a good way to get ideas for what to write about.

Ultimately the idea is to make sure you make time to relax, unwind, and de-stress. The benefits are many including ideas for what to write about, increased well being, fewer illnesses, and a healthier happier you.

Regina Paul is a freelance writer, and the author of GETTING OUT ALIVE, a science fiction romance, as well as two novellas and numerous articles. She is currently at work on her next novel, and her first non-fiction book. For more information you can visit her website at http://www.reginapaul.com where you can sign up for her bi-monthly newsletter Regina's Universe, participate in her latest contest, get free e-books, and find many other writer's freebies.