Get An Attorney Now – It’ll Save You Later

By J.L. on September 29, 2008

There are two professionals every business will need early on: an accountant and a lawyer. The reasons for hiring an accountant are pretty obvious, you need someone to help you set up your “chart of accounts,” review your numbers periodically, and prepare all of your necessary federal, state and local tax returns.
The reason for hiring a business attorney may not, however, be so apparent. A good business attorney will [...]

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Selling on the Web

By J.L. on September 15, 2008

As with any business move or expansion, considering an online presence can raise a sometimes dizzying list of questions for an entrepreneur. Exactly what must be put in place to make it happen? How does an online presence change the market for the business? What are competitors doing? How will people shop? What kind of security is required? How will customers pay online? Why Go Online? The most amazing aspect of e-commerce is its ability to impact sales and marketing [...]

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The Right Way to Manage Your Money

By J.L. on April 21, 2008

Money management is tricky business. In addition to customers, cash flow and managing your accounts properly is what keeps your business humming along. Consequently, getting paid in full and on time, as well as understanding …

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Shopping Carts & E-commerce

By J.L. on November 20, 2008

Another requirement for efficiently running your online store is a virtual shopping cart. This actually is an electronic order form that serves as the first step in the fulfillment process. Its purposes are to:

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Email Marketing

By J.L. on November 19, 2008

If done correctly, e-mail marketing can deepen customer relationships and add a personal touch to the sales process. Carried out improperly, an e-mail campaign can turn a customer off to your business forever. E-mail newsletters for customers who “opt in” (request or otherwise sign up for them) are a terrific marketing tool for online businesses. [...]

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Attracting New Customers Online

By J.L. on November 18, 2008

With hundreds or thousands of competitors, how can a business get its product upfront in online search engines? Gaining a listing in the first page or two of a search engine’s results is often considered the “Holy Grail” of e-commerce. So, how do you get to the front of search results? There are two approaches [...]

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Domain Names & Staking Your Claim

By J.L. on November 17, 2008

Now that you’ve gotten this far and you have a business plan and a strategy for your online store, what do you need to build it? Just as with a brick-and-mortar store, the first two lines on the checklist are a name and a location. In cyberspace, they’re usually the same thing. The address of [...]

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10 Web Design Tips

By J.L. on November 15, 2008

Good websites begin with a good design that is simple to use. The graphic design and content on the homepage should grab the consumer’s attention, and the interior pages should be easy to navigate. Information must be easily found and should be expressed in the “language” of the customer, rather than the company’s internal lingo. [...]

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Who Pays the Shipping?

By J.L. on November 13, 2008

What about shipping charges? Online shopping breaks down most often over shipping charges. Imagine this: A customer sees a great price for just the product she’s been searching for. After entering the information on the electronic order form, she is startled to see a huge shipping fee tacked onto the price. The result? By barely [...]

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