Category: Business/Entrepreneurship

Common Mistakes Many Entrepreneurs Make When Starting Up

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy and Money, and Business and Entrepreneurship. When starting a new business, particularly if you’re a novice in terms of the whole process, some mistakes may be made early on by nature. If possible, it would advantageous to avoid those mistakes you can see them coming. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Common Mistakes Many Entrepreneurs Make When Starting Up.

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Starting a small business isn’t always easy. In fact, it very rarely is. There are just so many decisions to make, things to think about, and things to do, and all of this results in pressure that can cause a lapse in judgment. Mistakes in business are opportunities to learn, but risky ones at that. While some errors are simple to resolve, other could ruin your company before it really begins. To stay safe, here are some common entrepreneurial mistakes that you should avoid.

1. Skipping The Planning Phase
Once you’ve decided to launch your own startup, the idea of researching and planning can seem incredibly boring and tedious. Despite this, it’s an essential first step toward business success. Without a rough plan, you’ll be operating in the dark, which will like result in many more mistakes later down the line. Make sure you consider every area of your company and set realistic targets.

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2. Insisting On Working Alone
A common misconception about entrepreneurship is that every business owner does everything on their own. Thankfully, this is far from realistic. Even attempting to work completely by yourself will lead to stress, wasted time, and exhaustion, all of which will leave you of no use to your company. Instead, you should learn to delegate effectively and focus on the most important work.

3. Pricing Products Too Low
Being a new business doesn’t mean that your product is less valuable than others on the market. In fact, if you’ve played your cards right, yours should actually be worth much more. With that in mind, you should make sure that you price your products fairly, instead of giving them a massive discount As long as your product lives up to the cost, there’s no point in going cheaper.

4. Assuming You Know Everything
No one ever knows everything about business, especially first-time entrepreneurs. With that in mind, you may want to find yourself a mentor or consultant to offer their wisdom and advice. Ideally, you should opt for someone with experience in a number of successful startups, like Jos Opdeweegh. You should also keep up with business news by reading blogs and newspapers.

5. Providing Poor Customer Service
Your product may be the best on the market, but, if you or your employees treat your customers poorly, they’re going to stop buying from you. This can ruin large and established businesses, so you can guarantee that your small company would see some damage. To prevent this, you should constantly aim to improve customer service, by asking for feedback and suggestions.

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6. Neglecting Your Marketing Strategy
Unless people actually know who you are, they can’t buy from you, and your business will be over before it’s even begun. For this reason, you need to dedicate some time and money coming up with a killer marketing strategy. This should start to target potential customers before your startup even launches, ensuring you have customers on your very first day.

Mistakes are made every day in business, but, to keep your new startup safe and successful, should try to avoid those listed above.

Reach For The Stars; Don’t Limit Yourself

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Business and Entrepreneurship, and Technology. In today’s digital world, it’s important to know that right mix of: technology usage, marketing, and knowing when to outsource to make your business competitive, whether it’s small or large. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Reach For The Stars; Don’t Limit Yourself.

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It’s easy to think that small and large businesses are like chalk and cheese, and your small or home-based business is nothing like the larger firms of the world. However it’s simply not the case- you both have the same aims and objectives; you all want to turn a profit and provide a product or service to consumers that they’re currently missing. Sure, a bigger company will have lots more departments and processes in place, but there’s plenty of things that they do that you can also take advantage of in your small business. Don’t be limited or put obstacles in your way, don’t feel as though you’re not able to utilise certain methods just because you’re not a bigger business. Here are some examples.

Utilise the right tools and software
If you’re running a small or home based business, the temptation is there to save on software and do tasks manually. While this may be possible since you’re on a smaller scale, you’ll actually be losing out on money rather than saving it. Business software is something that can be utilised by firms of all sizes- you’ll boost productivity, reduce human error and save time too. This is time you could be spending doing something else, whether it’s in your business or in your personal life. You can find software for any department of your business these days, from accounting to legal software, customer relationship management, email management and much more. If you have room in your budget, you could even have bespoke software designed specifically for your business. On top of this, there are all kinds of tools that you could (and should) be using, regardless of the size of your firm. You can discover SEO rankings when using the right tools, PPC keywords and much more which will enable you to adjust your strategy for the best effect.

Market your business
Marketing is essential for businesses of all sizes. Even if you’re a small, local business who doesn’t sell online, you should have a marketing strategy in place to promote yourself. You will still need to be visible in search engine listings for when people search for local companies like yourself, and so a good website is essential. If you don’t sell online, your marketing will likely have a strong focus on things like flyers, posters and billboards so that people in the local community get to hear about you. Social media marketing is excellent also. If you do sell online, you’ll need to focus your efforts on further out- blogger outreach, Google ads and video marketing all might be options. Your marketing is important, don’t overlook this just because you’re not a huge company.

Outsource
If any of the tasks above sound like they’re out of your depth, there’s no need to worry. You can outsource anything these days, from entire departments of your business to single tasks. For example, you could outsource your marketing to a professional third party company who specialises in this. You could utilise freelancers to create content for your blog, or design your app or website. There are so many talented companies and individuals online who you can hire to run or tackle any area of your business. This ensures that everything is done to the best standard, and if you want to remain a sole trader it means you can get work done without having to hire staff. Many smaller companies believe that outsourcing is something that only big companies take advantage of, but you can outsource work regardless of the size of your business. And best of all, it could save you money too. While there will be a fee to pay the company or person, as they specialise in that area they have the knowledge and tools to be able to do things far more quickly than you. This boosts productivity and therefore profits. It frees up your time for you to tackle the elements of your business that you’re comfortable with and enjoy.

Don’t limit yourself, or believe that you’re any different to other businesses out there. No matter what the size, you all have the same objectives and there are tools that suit, or can be suited to any type of firm. Do your research, and don’t let the size of your company limit you! It’s completely possible to make a fortune right from your own home if that’s what you choose to do, as long as you go about things in the right way.

How Your Online Presence Could Make or Break Your Business

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Business and Entrepreneurship and Technology. With so much business being conducted online these days, every business must be aware of how their online presence impacts their ability to do business, and to continue to thrive. The following contributed post is thus entitled; How Your Online Presence Could Make or Break Your Business.

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Running a business isn’t simply about coming up with winning ideas and providing excellent services to your clients, you need to have a strong online presence in order to be noticed. Nowadays if you don’t have a killer website and stunning social media strategy you might as well leave your business at the door. Using social media correctly is so important to every business owner, so you need to brush up your skills right now and make sure your online presence doesn’t let your business down. There are many mistakes that you could be making on a regular basis which jeopardises your business, so be aware of these ups and downs.

Wasted Money on Advertising

If you aren’t quite sure of your advertising strategies then you mustn’t try to do it all yourself. You could waste a tonne of money on useless campaigns that will never attract any leads. Look into reputable advertising companies who can assist you with all of your marketing needs. You will be able to hone in on your target audience and discover exactly how you can bring them in. Discuss your options with an agency and you can be sure you won’t be wasting any money on your marketing methods.

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Unprofessional Social Media

You could deter somebody from your business straight away if your social media platforms aren’t up to scratch. You could have posted controversial content online which sparked a heated discussion or you might not be using the correct language to suit the demographic of your target audience. Make sure your spelling, grammar and facts are all thoroughly checked over otherwise you run the risk of giving off an unprofessional vibe. You want your potential customers to trust you and want to invest their money in you so give them every reason to.

Website Glitches

When a customer goes online and wants to buy one of your products or services, there is nothing more frustrating than being greeted with glitches in the system or slow loading times. Keep your website running smoothly and seamlessly so that your audience have no reason to click away from that checkout page. There are websites that will check the loading times of your individual pages; if you are waiting for more than three seconds, the chances are that your potential shopper will lose interest. Keep your images as small as possible and this will help to lessen the loading time.

Invisible to Search Engines

Improving your search engine ranking should be very high on your priority list. If you can’t be found online then you aren’t going to get many sales. Do everything you can to improve your SEO strategies so that you start ranking higher on popular search engines such as Google and Bing! This could involve tweaking your keywords, starting a blog and reassessing your website descriptions.

So pay close attention to your online presence, website and the way in which you operate your social media, as it could be the make or break element for your business.

What Henry Ford Can Teach Us About Being An Entrepreneur

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy and Money, and Business and Entrepreneurship. Henry Ford was one of the great ‘Industrial Titans’ whose visions laid the groundwork for the modern automobile industry and literally helped shape modern America. A lot can be learned from how he built is empire. The following contributed post is thus entitled; What Henry Ford Can Teach Us About Being An Entrepreneur.

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Everyone should know who Henry Ford is and why he’s famous. He was the mastermind behind the giant corporation Ford, and his legacy lives on to this day. But, what a lot of people don’t know is that his journey was extremely rough. It’s certainly not a story of some young buck having a bright idea and shooting to success right away.

No, Ford went through plenty of hard times, which is why he’s the perfect person to study as an upcoming entrepreneur. If you’re thinking of starting a business – or have started one that’s failed – then you should pay attention to Ford’s story. Here are a few things you can learn from what happened to him:

Persistence Is Key

Unbeknownst to many, but Ford actually failed twice before he managed to successfully launch his Ford Motor Company. The two previous times, he struggled with juggling finances and promoting the business. Both times, he ended up losing money and had to file for bankruptcy.

Did this stop him? No! He came back a third time and look at what happened. The moral of the story is that persistence is vital. If you have an idea that you believe in, then don’t give up. Don’t let your failings take over and make you feel like you can’t succeed. Try again, learn from your errors, and you may end up getting it right.

Bankruptcy Offers A Second Chance

There’s a stigma surrounding the concept of bankruptcy, and it’s been around for years. Personally, I blame Monopoly! When you’re made bankrupt in that game, you lose all your money and are out of the game. So, we grow up assuming that this holds true for real life; file for bankruptcy, and that’s it, game over.

In reality, as Henry Ford has shown, bankruptcy can be helpful in some situations. As it explains on NY-Bankruptcy.com, it’s a debt solution to help you pay off creditors and get them off your back. Yes, there are plenty of hard times that come when you’re bankrupt. However, it doesn’t mean you’re left with no money and no home/job. A lot of the time, it can be used to give you a second chance. So, if your business ever fails and you’re made bankrupt, don’t take this to mean your chances of success are over in life!

Marketing A Business Is Essential

During his second attempt at starting a company, Ford had most things nailed down pretty well. He managed to balance the finances well, and the actual product was excellent. The issue was that people didn’t understand what it was, because he hadn’t marketed it correctly.

So, we need to learn from his mistakes and ensure we always market our businesses as effectively as possible. Ensure the consumer knows what you offer, and how it can benefit them. There is some handy advice on entrepreneur.com that can help you improve your marketing skills and promote your company.

The overall thing to take from Henry Ford’s success story is that good things don’t happen overnight. It will be a grind, and you may fail more than once. But, learn from your failures and don’t let them dictate your passage in life. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.

Guaranteeing Customers’ Security When They Shop Online With You

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Business and Entrepreneurship and Technology. With so much business being conducted online these days, it’s important to understand how to best to protect your customers during online transactions. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Guaranteeing Customers’ Security When They Shop Online With You.

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Online security used to only really apply to big-time businesses, as small businesses tended to operate through brick and mortar stores. They could simply accept cash payments and not worry about the technological world. But nowadays, increasing numbers of small business owners are taking to the web and operating online. No matter how small your business may be, if you are operating online, you really need to take customer safety seriously when it comes to taking payments. There are all sorts of individuals out there with bad intentions who would happily take a customer’s payment details and use them to purchase goods for themselves, or sell them on to others. However, if this is unfamiliar territory for you, you may feel a little bit lost when it comes to guaranteeing customer safety when processing sales and transactions online. But not to worry. Here are the basics that you need to know when it comes to protecting the individuals who choose to shop with you!

Using a Reliable Payment Gateway

One of the areas where customer information is most commonly leaked, or most commonly hacked into, is through a payment gateway. A payment gateway is a service that authorises credit and debit card payments, deducting funds from a customers’ account and depositing them into your account. In order to authorise this transaction, customers have to input their personal details (including name and address) and banking details (such as a card number, an expiry date, and a security number) into the payment gateway. By using a secure gateway, you can ensure that this information is safely collected without interference. Consider using a reliable service like BlueSnap. BlueSnap can work through both online and mobile devices, guaranteeing a positive experience for all of your customers. BlueSnap also keeps customers within your webpage when taking payments. This removes the need to redirect customers from your page to a separate payment page, reducing the risk of interference from cyber criminals along the way.

Accept Credit Card Payments

Many small businesses are reluctant to accept credit card payments, as you are likely to be charged more in order to process this transaction. This, of course, dips into your overall profits. However, many customers feel a lot more secure paying via credit card, as many credit companies offer to reverse charges for fraudulent transactions without a quibble. If you value making your customers feel safe and secure, it’s worth fronting the extra costs that come hand in hand with accepting credit card payments. Alternatively, you could pass the charge on to the customer (adding a set fee to credit card transactions). This means that you don’t make any loss, but the customer still has the choice to use this kind of payment method.

These are just a couple of different ways to guarantee your customers’ safety when they choose to shop online with you. Keep them at the forefront of your mind at all times and consider implementing them into your business plan in the near future!

3 Simple Methods Of Protecting Your Business

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy and Money, and Business and Entrepreneurship. Once your business is up and running there are several keys to keep it successfully afloat. The following contributed post is thus entitled; 3 Simple Methods Of Protecting Your Business.

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What would you consider to be one of the most important, life-long activity a business can participate in? Raising profitability for shareholders? Exercising staff comfort and working satisfaction? Having a positive impact on the world? Valid answers all. However, there’s one essentially vital activity missing from this list, something that should be shouted from the rafters. A firm should desire to protect itself. It should know how to conduct security. Not only for its own preservation, but for the health and protection of its employees, customers, and general processes.

Protecting your business can be done, but it can feel dizzying to do, particularly if you’re a small firm. Thankfully, all you need to do is keep yourself updated and knowledgeable in modern requirements, and you’ll be golden. Consider these tips:

Forwarded Address

Sometimes, especially in small business, you aren’t interested in making your business address public. This might be because you haven’t any front-facing customer support and it would be functionally useless to offer your address online or on your contact firms, or because the business is the same residence as your home, and you’re keen on protecting the living space of your family. There may be more reasons than these that you wish to use an alternate address to pick up your mail, and they are all valid. Thankfully, it’s possible to make use of cheap mail forwarding addresses in countries across the world, and you can find that functionality at yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk/mail-forwarding-address. Remember, sometimes privacy is key for the protection of business assets, and this can serve as a wise first step towards that goal.

Web Hosting

Using web hosting services with a solid track record of confidentiality, privacy, DDOS protection ability, and trustworthy technicians can help the flow of your online traffic stay sustained well in the early months, at least before you are able to structure your own website via an in-house professional timeline of development. Be sure to research testimonials and the business practices of the firms used before you give them your money, even those that seem to be dominating the industry – it’s a good habit to get into. This goes for VPN’s, email and business administrative suites also.

Staff Practices

Staff practices are important to consider when it comes to protecting your business. Staying ahead of the curve means training your staff in your best security policies, in the requirements of the legal bounds you find yourself in. It might be expertly training and qualifying your staff in the matters of food hygiene each year, or perhaps teaching your staff how to properly handle and confidentially transmit important business files to the correct end recipients. Of course, none of this will work without the ability to vet your staff, to ensure they wish to perform the best and most appropriate job possible. After all, you are nothing without your staff, and your staff are nothing without the training your firm provides (at least legally speaking.)

With these simple tips, protecting your business is sure to be a daily task managed well.

Ecommerce Mistakes That Most People Make In Their First Year

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Business and Entrepreneurship and Technology. With so much business being conducted online these days, its important to understand how to best to do business in our new digital world in terms of ecommerce. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Ecommerce Mistakes That Most People Make In Their First Year.

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If you are launching your own ecommerce store then you will know how exciting this can be. At times you may feel as though the world is your oyster and you may even feel as though there is just so much for you to try and do in the day as well. If you want your ecommerce store to succeed however then you have to make sure that you are putting the work in to understand your industry and you also have to make sure that you are trying not to make any mistakes along the way as well. If you want to find out more then you can take a look below.

Not Doing Any Market Research

When you first launch your store, you will probably have a few products that you plan on selling. You will probably be very optimistic about this and you may even have so much fun creating them as well. The main mistake that people make is that they get so excited about creating their product that they fail to do any reliable market research. This can make it very hard for you to generate a profit and it can also make it hard for you to know who you are trying to market to as well. If you want to get around this, you need to spend a few weeks trying to research your competition, what you plan on selling and even how you plan on importing or shipping them.

Trying to Handle Absolutely Everything Yourself

The last thing that you want to do is try and handle everything yourself. You may save money by doing this but it is not good for business at all. When you start your own online store, you need to try and do everything you can to find experts who can help you along the way and you also need to get their help when reaching your goals. If you don’t then you will never end up achieving as much as you’d like.

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Not Focusing on your Business Development

The best part of running a business is being able to turn any ideas that you have into a service or product. If you enjoy what you do then you may end up focusing on a single aspect of your business, such as getting new products in or even choosing colour variations. This is all very well, but if you are not careful then you may find that you spend so much time trying to market your products and your business without really taking the time to know if you are in a position to fulfil the orders when you receive them. You need to focus on developing your business as much as you do developing your products, and this is a very important factor for you to take into
consideration.

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So there are many ways that you can avoid making these top eCommerce mistakes, and when
you do, you will experience way more success than ever before.

Keywords: 3 Essentials For Online Entrepreneurs

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Business and Entrepreneurship and Technology. With so much business being conducted online these days, an important consideration is how potential customers will you find your business and your products. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Keywords: 3 Essentials For Online Entrepreneurs.

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It is impossible to say that there is a magic formula when it comes to business. Some businesses appear, on the surface, to break all the established rules of what constitutes a “good” business – but they seem to succeed anyway. Other companies seemingly do everything right and make all the smart decisions, but for some reason, the business never quite thrives.

However, there are some aspects of business that greatly lend themselves towards success, and enjoy a far higher level of importance than other areas. While these elements alone cannot guarantee success, it could certainly be said that the absence of these elements can make success incredibly difficult to achieve.

Keywords are a business element that fit this description to a T; while your business could succeed without understanding and utilizing keywords effectively, it’s going to be a very tough road without their assistance. In an effort to enhance your understanding of this element – and particularly how their usage has changed over recent years – we’ve put together three simple facts that all business owners should know about keywords.

#1 – Keyword stuffing is obsolete (and potentially harmful)

SEO is a young industry, but even in its short time as a factor for businesses, it has changed hugely. Perhaps the biggest change has happened to a technique known as “keyword stuffing”. Where keyword stuffing was once the way to get your business noticed online, it’s now more likely to earn a violation from Google – from an essential tactic to a substantial detriment, keyword stuffing is a technique that burned bright and fell fast.

Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs don’t quite seem to have gotten the memo, and keyword stuffing is still found across a variety of business websites. If you’re still using this technique, it’s time for a change.

#2 – Keywords are changing due to voice search

Long tail keywords are nothing new, but they are becoming far more important due to the advent of voice search. When people use voice search on mobile devices or smart speakers, they tend to phrase their search as a question, for example: “what are the best restaurants in New York?”. This is very different to how people search when typing – which would usually be more along the lines of “best restaurants New York” – and has opened up a new form of keyword usage that focuses more on natural speech patterns rather than the more abbreviated short tail keywords that have reigned supreme for the last 10 years.

#3 – The power of keywords extends far beyond SEO

Thus far, as is common, we’ve talked about keywords in relation to SEO, but keywords have an importance far beyond appearing in search terms. From using tools such as WordTree to ensure your products appear high in results on Amazon, to keyword research helping to shape social media posts, a modern business owner has to appreciate the importance of keywords across almost every area of their business’ online presence.

In conclusion

Keywords may have changed somewhat over the 20+ years the internet has been a force for businesses, but their importance cannot be overlooked. By using keywords correctly, and avoiding outdated techniques, you can be sure to benefit from their incredible power, and your business should hugely benefit as a result.

Everything You Need to Know About Taxes

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy and Money, and Business and Entrepreneurship. Whether it’s your personal finances or a business venture, understanding taxes is critical. Furthermore, having a tax-strategy can be a critical component to building wealth. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Everything You Need To Know About Taxes.

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As the old saying goes, the only certainties in life are death and paying taxes. All working citizens pay a percentage of their earnings to the government in order to contribute to the functioning of the country. The government spends these taxes on maintaining and improving the country, investing in technology and education, as well as purchasing products that benefit citizens in general. Main areas of expenditure include Major Health Programs (including Medicare and Medicaid), social security, and defense and security for the country as a whole. Tax payments are also used on transport and infrastructure. But it’s not so much how taxes are spent that you need to worry about personally. It’s how much tax you have to pay the government and how to make sure that you cough up the correct amounts on time. So, to help you along the way, here’s everything that you need to know on the subject!

The Importance of Paying Taxes

Besides the importance of paying taxes in regards to keeping the country ticking over, it’s also extremely important that you pay taxes in order to avoid huge fines and potential jail time. Here are some of the potential consequences of paying late or not paying at all.

● Late returns – if you file your return late, you will be charged five percent of your unpaid taxes for every month that your tax return is late on top of the total that you owed anyway.

● Failure to pay – if you file your return, but fail to pay the amount that you owe, you will be charged a failure-to-pay penalty. This amounts to 0.5 percent of the taxes that you owe per month you fail to pay. You will also begin to accrue interest rates on your unpaid tax.

Making the Process as Simple as Possible

As we have established, it’s extremely important that you not only file your tax assessment on time, but that you also make a payment on time. The percentages that you are charged may sound relatively small, but when you keep in mind the amount that you earn in an entire fiscal year, this sum can become pretty large and it can mount up over the months. But not to worry. There are steps that you can take to seriously simplify your tax paying process. The first step that you can take is to hire an accountant. This individual will take all of your financial information for the tax year and determine exactly how much you owe out in taxes. They may also be able to minimize this figure by deducting any work-related expenses that you may have incurred. Another option is to use tax software yourself. This is specially designed software that will help you to complete your return as quickly and conveniently as possible. If this sounds good to you, take a look at this Professional Tax Software Comparison Chart to determine which software will best suit your needs.

Corporation Taxes

Now, we have dealt with personal taxes, let’s take a moment to focus on corporate taxes. If you own a corporation, you’re going to have to pay corporate tax from your business’ profits. You can generally choose your own tax year, so you choose two dates within the year that you operate within – this makes paying taxes better suited to your professional schedule. If you know you have a particularly busy time of year where you’re run off your feet, you can arrange your fiscal year to guarantee that you won’t be focused on filing returns at this given time. Instead, you can schedule your tax file to fall during a quieter period. It is generally stated that we have the highest corporation tax in the world. While stated levels of tax may well be the highest amongst the world’s major economies, when you factor in deductions and other expenditures, corporation tax isn’t actually all too high.

Paying Corporation Tax

Almost all corporations are expected to pay the full sum of corporation tax that they owe over four set dates. Payments generally tend to be due on the 15th April, 15th June, 15th September, and 15th December. Paying smaller sums throughout the year lightens the load on businesses, rather than implementing the pressure of one huge payment date. It is highly unlikely that you will be granted an extension on this payment date, so make sure that you have the funds ready and waiting to be paid. If you fail to pay the full sum of your corporation taxes, you may find that civil and criminal penalties may be imposed upon you. These tend to be divided into four categories:

● Delinquency penalties
● Accuracy-related penalties
● Information reporting penalties
● Preparer, promotor, and protestor penalties

While most individual and corporate taxes are reliant on a mere self-assessment, many large and mid-sized businesses are monitored by the IRS and tax state authorities. If you are turning over a lot of money, you may find that you undergo regular audits to ensure that you are complying with the law and sticking to tax rules.

Hopefully, this has helped you out with a whole lot of information that you need to keep in mind when it comes to filing both personal tax and corporation tax. These are by no means minor issues, as failing to comply with tax law can see you receive serious fines and perhaps even face legal action. So, make sure that you are always complicit!

Running a Successful Non-Profit Organization

Two of the principles of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and Long-Term Thought. When starting a nonprofit organization, there are certain key steps and considerations to be mindful of. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Running a Successful Non-Profit Organization.

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If you are someone that loves to champion the things and causes that you are passionate about, then founding a nonprofit organization can be a great way to help and contribute. In order for it to do well, though, you need to make sure that it is adhering to a few guidelines, as well as running efficiently so that the goals that you have for it can be achieved. Here are some steps to help you to make that all happen; is there anything else that you would add to the list?

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Clear Vision and Mission Statement

If you haven’t got a clear vision as a nonprofit, then you won’t have a clear focus of what you are trying to achieve. So before you start out, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to do. From there you can make plans and then work the plan that you have set. It can simply be a to-do style list of all that you want to achieve, and then you can have a focus and make plans of what you will do and when, as well as the measures so that you can check how things are going.

Work Backwards

Along similar lines, it is a really good idea if you can work backwards from what you are trying to achieve. If you set your goal, then you might struggle to know where to start with it. So instead, work backwards from the goal to see what steps you need to get there. In simple terms, it helps you to make sure that you get there, rather than having to start over and over.

Tech and Programs Can Help

While your nonprofit is going to reinvest the money that it generates, you can also put some of that back into what you are doing, so that it is made easier and easier. There is so much tech out there that could help to streamline processes, as well as help you to achieve your goals. There are systems and solutions in place like eBECS that can be used to benefit your nonprofit too. They can help to improve membership management, give easier access to data, and automate processes so that expenses can be reduced.

Be a Leader

Being a leader of a team can be a skill that is hard to learn, as it is more than just being in charge. You need to make sure that you are delegating your time evenly, as well as doing the jobs that will best highlight or showcase your skills. When you’re the one in charge it can be tempting to just take on the tasks that you enjoy or are more fun. But as a leader, you need to make sure that you are taking on a variety of tasks, as well as sharing the vision of the organization with your team.

No matter how many hours you are working, work should be an enjoyable place to be. Smile, work hard, and have fun as you see your dreams and goals being achieved.