<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729</id><updated>2011-11-27T15:30:31.550-08:00</updated><category term='business'/><category term='penerjemah bahasa'/><title type='text'>small business</title><subtitle type='html'>small business</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>15</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-5558120718417290342</id><published>2010-07-28T00:15:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2010-07-28T00:15:00.215-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Small Business Travel Haji  dan Umrah</title><content type='html'>Wah, saya baru baca peluang bisnis menarik menjadi agen perjalanan haji dan umroh dengan modal yang terbilang sangat ringan cuma 3.6 juta, langsung aja deh ke TKP&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a alt="pergi haji umrah umroh" href="http://haji-umrah-gratis.blogspot.com/" &gt;http://haji-umrah-gratis.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-5558120718417290342?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/5558120718417290342/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=5558120718417290342' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/5558120718417290342'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/5558120718417290342'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2010/07/small-business-travel-haji-dan-umrah.html' title='Small Business Travel Haji  dan Umrah'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-2458474104521369461</id><published>2008-10-26T16:25:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-26T16:25:56.365-07:00</updated><title type='text'>About Melilea</title><content type='html'>&lt;strong&gt;Small Business&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="content"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 10pt;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Melilea International&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt; is now the youngest and fastest growing network marketing company in the region, with more than 400,000 distributors and accumulative turnover exceeding RM550 million.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Melilea International as pillars of success are its range of superior organic products, a solid company built on ethical principles, an effective training system and a highly rewarding marketing plan.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It champions and upholds the philosophy of Transforming Lives and has won numerous accolades as the Brand that Transforms Health, Beauty, Happiness and Success.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Under the inspiring guidance and mentorship of Melilea International Founder-Group Chairman, Datuk Dr Alan  Wong (DMSM), Executive President, Datin Dr Stella K.Y. Chin and Father of Organic Theory Dr Henry Chang, the health and beauty of millions of customers have indeed been transformed&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About &lt;a href="http://www.melilea-jakarta.blogspot.com" alt=" melilea organic"&gt;Melilea Organic Food&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-2458474104521369461?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/2458474104521369461/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=2458474104521369461' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/2458474104521369461'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/2458474104521369461'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/10/about-melilea.html' title='About Melilea'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-908348364667949957</id><published>2008-10-04T13:12:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-04T13:14:56.542-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Translate English Indonesian</title><content type='html'>&lt;strong&gt;Small Business&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;"  &gt;&lt;strong&gt;Translate English Indonesian &lt;/strong&gt;is one of sentences used by people to search the English-Indonesian translator on the internet services. People say it's uneasy to translate document. Does it hamper you now? Let's travel around the world with language such as English, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Dutch, Russian, and many more. TRANSWA answers your need of foreign language. The translation, interpreting, editing, legalization and interpreting system are our integrated services that will remove the barrier of the language and make clearer and easier for you. To &lt;a href="http://transwa-penerjemah.com/" alt="translate-english-indonesian"&gt;translate English Indonesian&lt;/a&gt; in a written document differs from verbal translation as it requires a special expertise. Hence, we are here to provide such services for foreign language. One step with us, then there will be no more barriers against the language.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-908348364667949957?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/908348364667949957/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=908348364667949957' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/908348364667949957'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/908348364667949957'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/10/translate-english-indonesian_04.html' title='Translate English Indonesian'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-543290239694211252</id><published>2008-10-01T16:47:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-01T16:59:40.194-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Translate English Indonesian</title><content type='html'>&lt;strong&gt;Small Business&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Translate English Indonesian is one of sentences used by people to search the English-Indonesian translator on the internet services. People say it's uneasy to translate document. Does it hamper you now? Let's travel around the world with language such as English, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Dutch, Russian, and many more. TRANSWA answers your need of foreign language. The translation, interpreting, editing, legalization and interpreting system are our integrated services that will remove the barrier of the language and make clearer and easier for you. To &lt;a href="http://transwa-penerjemah.com/"&gt;translate English Indonesian&lt;/a&gt; in a written document differs from verbal translation as it requires a special expertise. Hence, we are here to provide such services for foreign language. One step with us, then there will be no more barriers against the language.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-543290239694211252?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/543290239694211252/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=543290239694211252' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/543290239694211252'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/543290239694211252'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/10/translate-english-indonesian.html' title='Translate English Indonesian'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-4014688946536257654</id><published>2008-09-27T19:58:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-27T19:59:03.040-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='penerjemah bahasa'/><title type='text'>Iklan: Jasa Penerjemah Bahasa</title><content type='html'>&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;penerjemah bahasa&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://transwa-penerjemah.com/indexi.htm"&gt;&lt;img title="Penerjemah bahasa" src="http://transwa-penerjemah.com/images/welcome.png" alt="Penerjemah Bahasa" height="225" width="192" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bahasa membatasi anda? Mari bersama kami menjelajah dunia dengan bahasa. &lt;a href="http://blog.indonesian-translator.info/"&gt;Penerjemah Bahasa&lt;/a&gt; memberikan jawaban bagi kebutuhan anda akan bahasa asing. Terjemahan, interpreting, editing, legalisasi serta interpreting system merupakan integrated service kami yang akan meniadakan batasan akan bahasa, menjadikannya lebih jelas dan mudah untuk anda. Dengan satu langkah bersama kami maka tak ada lagi batasan akan bahasa.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Informasi lebih lanjut, silahkan hubungi:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Telepon : 021-73888872,021-70692409&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div id="text-226465222" class="widget widget_text"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div class="widget-all"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3 class="widgettitle"&gt;Thank your for your trust&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div class="textwidget"&gt;We have collaborated with numerous parties coming from the government, non-governmental institutions and private companies in various sectors either law, business, commercial or non-commercial.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div class="textwidget"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;penerjemah bahasa&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-4014688946536257654?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/4014688946536257654/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=4014688946536257654' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/4014688946536257654'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/4014688946536257654'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/09/iklan-jasa-penerjemah-bahasa.html' title='Iklan: Jasa Penerjemah Bahasa'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-5155374238572157677</id><published>2008-09-15T03:02:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-15T03:05:21.456-07:00</updated><title type='text'>How Small Businesses Drive For Less</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;How Small Businesses Drive For Less&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How Small Businesses Drive For Less&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Small-business owners who make their living behind the wheel face the constant frustration of on-the-road expenses eating away at their earnings. Even though prices at the pump have dipped slightly in recent weeks, dropping below their $4 high in July, fuel costs still can take a big bite out of profits. Fortunately, there are many ways for businesses to save on vehicle expenses.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Costs for maintenance, full-coverage insurance and depreciation are all slightly lower this year, according to AAA, but overall costs of driving are going up–something that should be of concern to most of America’s 27 million small-business owners. With the costs for fuel, tires, financing, license, registration and taxes all showing recent increases, in 2008 AAA estimates it will cost $8,121 to own and operate a new passenger car driven 15,000 miles per year. This compares with $7,823 per year in 2007.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In Depth: How Small Businesses Drive For Less&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“While the cost of some driving expenses declined since the start of 2007, higher gasoline prices have more than offset these savings and pushed the overall cost of vehicle ownership and operation higher this year,” says John Nielsen, director of AAA’s Approved Auto Repair network.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Government Assistance&lt;br /&gt;The silver lining to the dark cloud that is high gas prices is that the summer price spike was enough for the Internal Revenue Service to raise the standard mileage rates a second time this year. For each mile driven between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2008, self-employed workers may deduct 58.5 cents. In January, the IRS raised the rate to 50.5 from 48.5 cents.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While raising the mileage rates might have been a small step, the federal government still wants to encourage businesses to take the much bigger step of buying new cars. As part of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, passed Jan. 29, business owners can get a special 50% depreciation allowance, or up to $8,000. This is on top of the existing tax credit that allows a maximum $2,960 deduction for passenger cars and $3,160 for light trucks purchased and used in 2008. The combined write-off can total as much as $11,160 on a 2008 vehicle purchase.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And small-business owners who bought an environmentally friendly hybrid or clean diesel-powered car can take an additional tax credit of up to $3,400 (on eligible vehicles). The IRS allows tax credits for certain hybrid cars that have not exceeded the maximum production level (60,000 annually), like the Nissan Altima hybrid and Chevrolet Malibu hybrid, or diesel-powered vehicles like the Volkswagen Jetta and Mercedes-Benz R320 Bluetec.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Look At The Little Things&lt;br /&gt;Along with government incentives, auto experts say small-business owners would be wise to examine and cut expenses in all areas of vehicle ownership. Reviewing auto-insurance premiums to locate unnecessary coverage, for example, can reduce premium costs by up to 40% just by raising the deductible to $1,000 from $200. Even taking time to check the insurance cost of a new vehicle before purchasing it can save $200 annually, says James Bell, editor and publisher of IntelliChoice.com, a consumer automotive information Web site.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nothing replaces the emotion and excitement of a new car, but you have to pause and consider the cost of ownership during the time you operate the vehicle,” says Bell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Moreover, it’s important for small-business owners to stick with features and functions they need to do their job and nothing more, says Bell. Much of the popularity of pickups and big SUVs in the 1990s was the cool factor–big cars were trendy. The subsequent demand for luxury amenities like leather seats and high-end technology prompted automakers to load the vehicles with equipment that dramatically raised their prices. Small-business owners, however, can forego many of these features and look at the cheaper base models first, says Bell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How does your small business save on car expenses? Weigh in. Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A way to save even more is to consider buying a used car–something one to four years old. You can save anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000 from the new-car price. Add in cash incentives of $500 to $4,000 and the savings quickly add up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And if no car–used or new–is in the budget, auto experts say you can maximize fuel efficiency by staying current with routine maintenance, observing posted speed limits and keeping tires properly inflated. Combined, all of these things can amount to annual savings of about $1,200 on fuel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Source: cheapcarleasing.wordpress.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-5155374238572157677?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/5155374238572157677/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=5155374238572157677' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/5155374238572157677'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/5155374238572157677'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-small-businesses-drive-for-less.html' title='How Small Businesses Drive For Less'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-8206828060965507265</id><published>2008-08-13T00:12:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-13T00:16:13.524-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='business'/><title type='text'>Business Intelligence For SMBs Stays Hot</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;Business Intelligence For SMBs Stays Hot&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Conventional wisdom used to hold that business intelligence solutions were too expensive and too complex for any companies except large enterprises. Fortunately, the BI community seems intent on changing that perception: witness today's announcement of Datawatch's Monarch BI Server, aimed directly at SMBs and some new BI tools for the midmarket from SAP's Business Objects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I see a trend here. A couple weeks ago, I wrote about The "Consumerization" Of Business Intelligence after meeting with the CEO of BI vendor QlikTech. And Business Objects recently upgraded BusinessObjects Edge 3.0 and Crystal Reports Server 2008 both aimed at the midmarket.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today's news is yet more proof that even small companies are big enough to benefit from BI. Web-based Monarch BI Server is designed to deliver "immediate and measurable business results by leveraging existing information assets and processes with no need for database connectivity or programming." The goal, according to the company, is to balance functionality and costs and offer SMBs "the benefits of BI without the significant time and resources required for traditional BI deployments." One way it's doing that is by using Excel as an output format. It may not be the fanciest, but at least everyone knows it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Monarch BI ain't cheap, priced at $10,995 per server with a 5-concurrent-user license, but it's a lot less expensive than many other BI solutions. And the real savings come from the reduced training and support requirements.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The diabetes unit of St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Md., for example, has been a Monarch BI beta site -- even using the software to identify potentially undiagnosed cases of diabetes. The Center reports that it got the application running in a single day, and benefits from letting workers access the data from any Web browser.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As BI gets less expensive and more user friendly, it's freeing smaller organizations to find new ways to use it. It seems business intelligence is finally getting smart.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Source: bmighty.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-8206828060965507265?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/8206828060965507265/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=8206828060965507265' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8206828060965507265'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8206828060965507265'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/08/business-intelligence-for-smbs-stays.html' title='Business Intelligence For SMBs Stays Hot'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-8986023206117178620</id><published>2008-08-12T21:59:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-12T22:16:36.393-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Small Business Can Step Back from the Bleeding Edge of Social Media</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;Small Business Can Step Back from the Bleeding Edge of Social Media&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yesterday at BarCamp Ohio I sat listening to a conversation among people who were trying to balance the need to be involved in social media outreach with the need to run their businesses. Their frustration was based on the fear that as they finally embraced a social network or site, the masses would move some place new. For a company focused on running a business instead of playing in the social media sphere, it's a valid concern.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As someone who remembers the massive rush to (and from) sites like Orkut and Spock over the last few years, I know most social media applications have a limited life span. The concepts will remain, but new companies will pop up with better ways of doing things, just as Google pushed Alta Vista and Northern Light aside in the search world. So while I adore Twitter and LinkedIn today, I also realize something better may come along down the road. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Bleeding Edge of Social Media&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.searchengineguide.com/images/cliffwalk-thumb-300x343.gif"&gt;&lt;img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.searchengineguide.com/images/cliffwalk-thumb-300x343.gif" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  While part of my job is testing and playing with these new applications and networks to find out what has practical application for small business, that isn't the job of most small business owners. Which brings me to my point.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is simply not practical for most small businesses to be on the bleeding edge of social media adoption.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They call it the "bleeding edge" for a reason, you know.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In fact, that bastion of collective knowledge known as Wikipedia defines the bleeding edge like this:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;...technology that is so new (and thus, presumably, not perfected) that the user is required to risk reductions in stability and productivity in order to use it."&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now, let's consider the last part of the definition again, shall we?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;...risk reductions in stability and productivity in order to use it."&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The majority of small businesses I've dealt with do not have the ability to risk reductions in stability or productivity. They're generally all working their tails off to build their companies and meet payroll.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Not an Excuse to Ignore Social Media&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.searchengineguide.com/images/mapwalk-thumb-300x297.gif"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.searchengineguide.com/images/mapwalk-thumb-300x297.gif" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  Now, in no way should this post be taken as me telling small businesses not to work on incorporating a social media plan into their marketing. Social media is fast becoming one of the absolute most important channels for small businesses to consider. Never before have companies had such insight into the thoughts of their customers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That said, companies seem to fall into two general categories when it comes to social media. They either run full speed trying to stay ahead of the curve or they shrink back in fear, afraid to take a chance on any site. Unfortunately, both groups end up dealing with a different type of trouble. They either waste time that could better be spent running their business, or they miss out on the opportunities to grow their business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The true challenge for small businesses when it comes to social media isn't deciding whether or not to get involved, it's in remembering to balance the needs of your business with the need to market your company. It's why the person in charge of your social media initiative needs to have a knack for both exploration and valuation. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Value is in the Leading Edge, Not the Bleeding Edge&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.searchengineguide.com/images/rainbowwalk-thumb-300x326.gif"&gt;&lt;img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.searchengineguide.com/images/rainbowwalk-thumb-300x326.gif" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  The nice thing about the bleeding edge is if you take just a few steps back, you can enjoy the view without the bleeding. That should be the goal of most small businesses...to stand near enough to the edge to see the big picture, but to stay far enough from the edge to avoid getting hurt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For the greatest majority of businesses, there's nothing wrong with hanging back and waiting to see if a new social media option will "take." Playing in well established spaces like YouTube, Flickr and Facebook is entirely different than investing the time in Plurk, Utterz, Seesmic and any other funny named social media site to pop up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Established social media sites also have established user bases. They've reached a point of saturation high enough to make them worth using. While the hot new social media network might be getting a lot of press, it's important to remember the press comes far before the users, at least in terms of having enough users to create a base worth marketing non-tech products to. Even something as talked about as Twitter still has only around 1.2 million registered accounts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There's no shame in taking your time to find out if a social network is going to continue to grow before getting involved. You still want to get in early, you just don't need to be the first person there. In fact, one of the best ways to decide if a social media site is right for you is if your customers are there. It's easy enough to scan the conversation at sites like Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook and other sites to find out what's being talked about.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you see conversation taking place related to your products or services, it might be a good place to get involved. If not, your time is probably better spent elsewhere. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Source: searchengineguide.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-8986023206117178620?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/8986023206117178620/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=8986023206117178620' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8986023206117178620'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8986023206117178620'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/08/small-business-can-step-back-from.html' title='Small Business Can Step Back from the Bleeding Edge of Social Media'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-3166581634293732954</id><published>2008-08-09T20:22:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-09T20:23:33.869-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Writing a Small Business Plan - 7 Great Tips for Mature Business Entrepreneurs</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;Writing a Small Business Plan - 7 Great Tips for Mature Business Entrepreneurs&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mature business owners - entrepreneurs in the 40+, 50+ and 60s age group are in a prime position to start up on their own after retirement from their mainstream career. Great ideas from experienced minds may be flowing, but without a good business plan format any new venture is much more likely to fail. Transforming your vision into reality begins with writing a small business plan, outlining your structure, costs and staffing, and making sure that your new business has the best chance of success from the outset!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Writing a small business plan tip #1. Outline your structure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Begin with the simplest ideas, using your existing knowledge and strengths, and start to build up your business plan format with the basics first. Think about how you want your new venture to run, how much time youll be able to commit, and what you ultimately want to achieve. Using a business start up kit is an excellent solution for new mature entrepreneurs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Writing a small business plan tip #2. Investment and capital.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Consider the financial side of your new business, how much money you personally have to start up with, and if youll require investment from elsewhere banks or other lenders, venture capital, small business loans or even family and friends. When youre looking at how to format a business plan, the financial side of your new enterprise is all too important, so making sure that you have the capital and investments in place from the beginning is an essential part of writing a small business plan.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Writing a small business plan tip #3. Running costs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now that youve sorted out the initial capital, think about the day-to-day costs of running your new business. As well as the obvious overheads materials, staffing costs and transport - remember to include the smaller items such as paper and envelopes, ink for your printer, telephone calls, internet and website charges in your business plan format.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Writing a small business plan tip #4. Staffing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No matter how large or small your new venture will be, youre likely to need help with setting up or running your business, and this should be reflected in your business plan format. Consider the possibility that youll need to employ a few people, or if youre working on your own, whether youll require to outsource some of your tasks, for example web design or copywriting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Writing a small business plan tip #5. Operations, sales and marketing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A business start up kit for the home office could be a good choice when youre moving into a new business after retiring. Planning the day to day running of your business, marketing and selling your product are all necessary components when writing a small business plan, so youll need good software to help you keep on track.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Writing a small business plan tip #6. Time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As a mature entrepreneur, you will no doubt have built up various skills over the years, which you will find invaluable when starting your own business. Keep in mind though; you want your business to work for you, not the other way round. Your business plan format should include the ability to automate and delegate tasks to streamline your business, giving you free time to enjoy the benefits of having your own company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Writing a small business plan tip #7. Organization and vision.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A key element when writing a small business plan is to ensure that the components of your business are neat and tidy. This includes files, documents, spreadsheets and software applications. Your business plan format must be adaptable, allowing you to change and grow your business in the future.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After retirement from a regular job, forming your own business can be an extremely rewarding experience. Starting out in the right way when writing a small business plan will not only save you time and money, but will give your new business the best opportunity for success in the future!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Source: makeyxasp.jcmorelos.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-3166581634293732954?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/3166581634293732954/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=3166581634293732954' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/3166581634293732954'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/3166581634293732954'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/08/writing-small-business-plan-7-great.html' title='Writing a Small Business Plan - 7 Great Tips for Mature Business Entrepreneurs'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-8233360312816279411</id><published>2008-08-09T20:18:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-09T20:20:09.150-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Tax Deduction Season - Don’t Miss Available Small Business Deductions</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;Tax Deduction Season - Don’t Miss Available Small Business Deductions&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Small business owners recognize that take home cash is critical for long-term success. And one of the surest ways to take home as much cash as possible is to maximize tax deductions at IRS filing time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Deductions abound, but the options vary depending on the type of business. For example, a home-based operation qualifies for certain deductions that are not available for an individual overall.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Everyone is aware of the basic deductibles such as office supplies and legal fees. However, many are unaware that educational expenses, business entertainment and even certain travel costs are deductible as well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition, when an at-home operation is involved, you can deduct that portion of your home related to the business operations by calculating a square foot percentage devoted to the business space then appropriating proportioned costs for everything from heat and lights to taxes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you have not documented expenses for this past year, then you should begin to position things now so that you will be able to keep more of your money next year.  I suggest a book or folder that you can log into every day.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Source: spotabusiness.wordpress.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-8233360312816279411?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/8233360312816279411/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=8233360312816279411' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8233360312816279411'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8233360312816279411'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/08/tax-deduction-season-dont-miss.html' title='Tax Deduction Season - Don’t Miss Available Small Business Deductions'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-4864726360205261676</id><published>2008-08-06T23:14:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-06T23:18:03.641-07:00</updated><title type='text'>My thanks and all credits to OUT-LAW NEWS..I hope they will forgive my using their text which is in the public domain</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;My thanks and all credits to OUT-LAW NEWS..I hope they will forgive my using their text which is in the public domain&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Workplaces need a music licence – but enforcement is unfair, says FSB&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A British trade body has called for new rules to exempt small businesses from music licensing fees that are payable if they let staff listen to a radio or watch TV. Some employers have received demands for unpaid licence fees dating back several years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has criticised actions of the Performing Right Society (PRS) which represents music creators and publishers. PRS licenses the public performance of music in all workplaces.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"The PRS collects money on behalf of artists and musicians and we've noticed in the past few weeks that they've become extremely aggressive with small businesses, demanding back-dated licenses which can cost thousands of pounds," FSB spokesman Simon Briault told OUT-LAW.COM. "We think there should be an exemption for small businesses."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A public performance licence from PRS is required for any 'mechanical performance' of copyright music as a background to work, meals, rest rooms or breaks at work places in the UK. The term covers recorded music played on CD as well as music playing on a radio or television set. So providing a TV in a staff canteen requires an employer to buy an annual PRS music licence, not just a TV licence. If employees are listening to music through headphones a music licence would not be required because it does not constitute a public performance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For many businesses, the typical fee is a few hundred pounds a year. A licence for music played in a canteen or rest room costs 14.99 pence per day, per unit of 25 employees. So an annual licence for 250 days for a canteen available to 135 employees would cost £224.85, according to PRS.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Briault said that while it was fair for a business playing music that could be heard by the public to pay licence fees, small businesses that play a radio that only a few staff can hear should be exempt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Our complaint with the PRS is that they are not accepting the arguments of small business owners," he said. "Technically they [PRS] are within the law. We think they're taking it way too far, though, and their interpretation of it is far too stringent."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"PRS have taken it out of all proportion," he said. "Small business owners who happen to have a radio in their back room are being told 'you owe us'."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"The vast majority of people have never heard of the PRS," he said. "It seems in the past month or so they've gone completely unreasonable. Someone who used to work at PRS told me they were having to chase one business for over six years' unpaid licence fees – in total over £21,000."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;PRS said that that example is untrue. It told OUT-LAW that it has never made any such claim.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Another FSB member complained about receiving eight calls in 10 days about unpaid licences.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Briault said the FSB's main objection was in the tactics of the PRS. "If it was conciliatory, you know, 'this is a warning – you need to have a licence; get rid of your radio if that's what you choose' – that would be fair."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The FSB is also calling for an exemption for micro businesses, defined by the Government as any business employing up to 10 people.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Anyone with less than 10 staff should be exempt. That would require an amendment to the 1988 law [the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act]. But also a change of attitude from the PRS," said Briault.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Instead of harassing small business owners and trying to get money out of them whatever the cost, they should be more conciliatory. Use their generous percentage of the money that they do take to inform business owners about what the law is and, if appropriate, they can stop listening to the radio," he said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A spokesperson for the PRS told OUT-LAW.COM: "Under the statute of limitations we are able to legally back charge up to six years. Our charges are based purely on our customers' declarations and agreement."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She said that 350,000 businesses across the UK currently have PRS licences and last year it contacted over 100,000 businesses.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;"All businesses first receive an introductory letter and informative brochure before being contacted by phone to establish if they need a PRS Music Licence," she said. "We also run advertising campaigns in print and on radio throughout the UK to help businesses understand the requirement for a PRS Music Licence if they are playing music in their business. We only wish to charge for the correct level of music usage and we will always aim to determine this with the customer."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The PRS said has invited the FSB to discuss its views and ideas for a micro business exemption directly with the PRS.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"We aim to ensure that our charges and processes are fair and reasonable," said the spokesperson for PRS. "Unfortunately, the FSB has not contacted PRS to discuss these complaints or any of its suggestions. PRS has invited the FSB to discuss its views and ideas directly with PRS."&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;She said that many of the PRS's 60,000 members "are themselves small businesses and many rely on income from royalties." She added that small businesses pay less, as little as £69 per year or less than £1.35 per week.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Source: fsb.org.uk&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-4864726360205261676?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/4864726360205261676/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=4864726360205261676' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/4864726360205261676'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/4864726360205261676'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-thanks-and-all-credits-to-out-law.html' title='My thanks and all credits to OUT-LAW NEWS..I hope they will forgive my using their text which is in the public domain'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-6771544595523754546</id><published>2008-07-30T21:23:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-30T21:26:42.240-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Small Business in Florida Gives a Big Welcome to the America Wins With Trade Bus</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;Small Business in Florida Gives a Big Welcome to the America Wins With Trade Bus&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Week 2 of the America Wins With Trade grassroots tour kicked off in Florida with a Monday morning event at the Port of Miami. As Dan Cole blogged yesterday following our trade bus visit to Charleston, South Carolina, our nations’ ports are buzzing with exports from U.S. companies selling products to consumers around the world.  In these economic times, exports are a bright spot in our economy. According to the Commerce Department, U.S. exports were up over 18 percent this year as of May.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Monday afternoon we visited CEA member company Tributaries Cable, based in Orlando. I rode the trade bus to Tributaries’ headquarters and was greeted by founder and President Joe Perfito, who founded Tributaries 17 years ago in his garage. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tributaries Cable prides itself on producing high quality audio and visual cables, and after touring their facility it became clear why. Highly skilled workers were busy assembling cables, handing them off to another team who conducts a series of quality checks on each individual cable, including additional quality checks, before shipping products – all with pride in the quality and craftsmanship of their work. Joe gave us a tour of the assembly line, testing facility, and then shipping – where a huge pallet of Tributaries cables was packed and ready for shipment to Russia. Joe said he hopes to increase the percentage of his business from exports of his products to overseas consumers four-fold.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Small businesses are the engine of economic growth in this country and nowhere is that more evident than in the consumer electronics industry. More than 80 percent of CEA member companies are small businesses (less than $20 million in annual revenue) and they increasingly rely on free trade agreements to open foreign markets to their products.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Speaking of free trade agreements, do you know how much money in tariffs U.S. companies have had to pay on goods exported from here to Colombia in the two years that Congress has been refusing to act on the Colombia free trade agreements? Over $1.1 billion. And the amount that Colombian companies have paid in U.S. tariffs for Colombian products sent to the U.S.?  Zilch – because Colombian goods come into the U.S. tariff-free. That’s not fair, and Congress’ failure to act on free trade agreements is hurting American companies.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;www.blog.ce.org&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-6771544595523754546?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/6771544595523754546/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=6771544595523754546' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/6771544595523754546'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/6771544595523754546'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/07/small-business-in-florida-gives-big.html' title='Small Business in Florida Gives a Big Welcome to the America Wins With Trade Bus'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-3118976251736068526</id><published>2008-07-30T21:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-30T21:16:44.736-07:00</updated><title type='text'>7 Cost-Effective Marketing Tips for Your Small Business</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1&gt;7 Cost-Effective Marketing Tips for Your Small Business&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;7 Cost-Effective Marketing Tips&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Companies often seek cost-effective, high-return marketing strategies. They may be as close as your wallet or the business next door. Below are seven easy to apply strategies for virtually any business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. Business cards&lt;br /&gt;Business cards are often one of the most underutilized tools in marketing. Use the front and back of your business card to gain full benefit. You can put valuable information on the back such as a sports schedule, emergency numbers, or special dates people want to remember.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Creatively distribute your card. When you eat out, leave one with the tip. If you borrow a library book, use one as a bookmark. Hand them to clerks in stores who may know other people who could use your product or service.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. Send a picture&lt;br /&gt;A great way to keep your name fresh in a customer’s mind is to send them a picture of when they purchased a product or service from you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Put a picture of a buyer’s auto purchase in a beautiful calendar. Likely, the proud owner of the vehicle will display the calendar for the next 365 days.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For specialty gift shops, when a customer makes a substantial purchase, have a picture taken with the shop owner. Frame the picture and send it to the customer. Chances are very good the picture will be displayed proudly for friends and family to see.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A dentist who specializes in smile makeovers can easily arrange to have a professional makeup artist and photographer capture the patient’s beautiful new smile. No doubt the patient will be more than happy to show others their new look.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. Associations&lt;br /&gt;Associations relevant to your market are a great resource for marketing. There are associations specific to virtually any industry, job type or business. A quick web search will show you how many associations exist in your market.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Most organizations have the following opportunities that can help you to gain visibility and do some very effective marketing:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-Newsletters&lt;br /&gt;-Internet listings&lt;br /&gt;-Links to your website&lt;br /&gt;-Discounted advertising rates&lt;br /&gt;-Networking opportunities&lt;br /&gt;-Business referral services&lt;br /&gt;-Special recognition events&lt;br /&gt;-Educational seminars&lt;br /&gt;-Business and membership directories&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4. Committee involvement&lt;br /&gt;Committee involvement is a great way to give back to an association or community while building visibility for you and your business. In some cases, you may want to get involved in a committee where you have little experience or knowledge. This will give you an opportunity to stretch yourself and meet and network with individuals you may not have otherwise had the chance to meet.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5. Contests and drawings&lt;br /&gt;Contests are a favorite for many businesses with high foot traffic, such as a restaurant. Contests are a great way to build your database quickly. You will generate very hot leads when you have a contest with people who have already frequented your place of business. The key to making this work is to do follow up with back-end marketing. Far too many businesses hold contests, get lots of names and do nothing with them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can advertise a contest to gain new foot traffic in your place of business. Be sure to check local ordinances for any restrictions on holding a contest.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;6. Cross-promoting&lt;br /&gt;Join with other companies who have products or services that compliment yours and promote each other. A landscaping company can cross-promote with an outdoor spa company. A real estate company could easily cross-promote with a mortgage lender. A hair salon with a tanning salon.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cross-promoting can considerably cut down the cost of business promotion and allow each business to use promotion techniques that might be too costly to implement alone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;7. Bonuses&lt;br /&gt;Secure special offers from various businesses who share a similar market. When a customer buys a minimum amount they would receive a bonus packet with various offers from the other vendors. This creates a win/win situation all the way around. The other vendors gain visibility, you have something extra to offer your customers and the customers get an incredible value for their purchase.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Marketing does not have to be expensive nor does it have to be mundane. The possibilities are merely limited by imagination and your willingness to implement them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;www.awomaninbusiness.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-3118976251736068526?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/3118976251736068526/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=3118976251736068526' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/3118976251736068526'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/3118976251736068526'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/07/7-cost-effective-marketing-tips-for.html' title='7 Cost-Effective Marketing Tips for Your Small Business'/><author><name>yuni</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/09159375621159551609</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_27bCC5KIsts/SUOe1UTsyaI/AAAAAAAAAJM/jR8bwfKPw20/S220/yunijpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-143731385965975816</id><published>2008-04-10T17:12:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-10T17:13:48.664-07:00</updated><title type='text'>at home job</title><content type='html'>&lt;strong&gt;Small Business&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;at home job&lt;br /&gt;at home jobs&lt;br /&gt;business&lt;br /&gt;business earn money online opportunity&lt;br /&gt;business ideas&lt;br /&gt;business making money online&lt;br /&gt;business 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opportunities&lt;br /&gt;online home business&lt;br /&gt;online income&lt;br /&gt;small businessman&lt;br /&gt;small bussines&lt;br /&gt;small franchises&lt;br /&gt;starting a business&lt;br /&gt;teen making money online&lt;br /&gt;ways to earn extra money&lt;br /&gt;web design&lt;br /&gt;website design&lt;br /&gt;work at home&lt;br /&gt;work from home&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3924261375236315729-143731385965975816?l=u-business.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/feeds/143731385965975816/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3924261375236315729&amp;postID=143731385965975816' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/143731385965975816'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/143731385965975816'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/04/at-home-job.html' title='at home job'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924261375236315729.post-8701521214932927710</id><published>2008-04-10T17:11:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-04-10T17:12:29.000-07:00</updated><title type='text'>best small business</title><content type='html'>&lt;strong&gt;Small Business&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;best small business&lt;br 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Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8701521214932927710'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3924261375236315729/posts/default/8701521214932927710'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://u-business.blogspot.com/2008/04/best-small-business.html' title='best small business'/><author><name>Cheriatna</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='24' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HagiGl5IW_8/SfKvOhhSYZI/AAAAAAAAB8A/GouT2-dTEcc/s1600-R/n780177501_8468.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry></feed>
