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Home Office Organization, More Than Just The Right Office Supplies

It is likely that few people keep their offices strictly organized, but with these tips, even the biggest clutter bug can create a serene and efficient office space.

The filing and paperwork systems must be simple and easy to use, according to Eric Loechner of the website DIY Life. There is no correct way to file, but consumers should make sure that they create a system that matches the way their brains naturally categorize things. Perhaps investing in a labelmaker will help keep files clearly marked. Additionally, only keep current files in folders. Anything older than a year can be "archived" into a different box or file separate from the current space, says Loechner.

A supply drawer should never have too many supplies in it. A good rule of thumb is to keep one item that is needed plus one refill. Make sure everything is in working condition as well. It's a good idea to have more than one refill, but these can be kept in a separate closet or storage space, advises Loechner.

Home and Garden Television suggests that offices have activity centers. An efficient space is zoned into different areas: a clear workspace with a computer and frequently-used office supplies; a reference center with binders, manuals and professional materials; and a supply center, where printer rel=nofollow [http://www.concordsupplies.com/ink-toner-printer-supplies.html]ink and toner, paper, pens and other necessities are stored.

An office should fit the needs of the worker, so hardware and peripherals should be properly placed, says HGTV. For example, if the printer is used daily, it should be within easy reach. Try to avoid blocking access to drawers or taking up leg room with cords and drives whenever possible.

Adequate office furniture is always a smart investment. If it is a home office, consumers can integrate the style of the furniture into the design and style of the other rooms in the house, but they should also be conscious of the function of each piece. Make sure that the furniture doesn't just look good, but that it provides ample space for work and storage, as well. When designing a workspace at a place of employment, a worker's options may be limited. However, a key element for any office is a comfortable and ergonomically correct desk chair. Employees should do all they can to lobby their employer for this necessity.

Cathryn Poth is a business journalist for concordsupplies.com who covers a range of topics including new business trends, [http://www.concordsupplies.com/]printer ink, printer supplies, office supplies and recycling in the office.

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Choosing The Right Vending Machine Business

There are a few things to keep in mind when searching for a provider. The machine needs to be stocked with the items that you and your staff and clients want. If the company does not have a large selection or will not allow you to customize things, look elsewhere.

Price is also a major factor. Depending on the volume of items that get sold, you may have some different options. If you have low volume, the supplier will usually provide the machine and inventory, but they will also keep any revenue. If you are having enough sales, there is usually an option for you to get the revenue made or a commission from every sale. This will vary quite a bit, so make certain to know all of the facts before entering into any agreement.

If you are getting one that is to be serviced by the supplier, find out what their service and maintenance includes, so you are not blindsided with paying for additional service that is not included. It is best to research several companies thoroughly. This will allow your company to get the best product and service for your staff and clients.

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Shipping Plants After Selling Plants

It is tempting to add a handling charge, but I don't suggest it. From a buyer's point of view, it adds cost and between the shipping and handling charge, it may very well make the item no longer desirable. Shipping is so darn expensive, it's better to leave the customer with more money to buy plants and seeds. The customer also won't feel gouged by the high cost of shipping AND handling and are more likely to become repeat customers.

Plants must ship by a service that has delivery time of no more than 3 days. Any longer in a box, and it's more difficult to bring them back to excellent health. I have had good results with USPS Priority Mail. They also offer free priority mail shipping boxes and supplies which may be ordered online. Usually, there are priority mail boxes in the lobby of post offices but they are flat rate boxes. They are not as suitable for shipping plants because of the size and dimensions. It is best to order boxes online from their website. The best sizes are the number 4, 7 and shoebox. They allow plenty of room for plant(s) and packing material to keep the plant insulated from heat,cold and excessive rough handling.

Figuring out how much things might weigh takes some practice and just trying it and seeing what the actual weight is. One plant may fit nicely in the number 4 box and weigh less than a pound. Several tall plants may be able to go in a shoebox and that might weigh over a pound. A number 7 box filled with plants may weigh up to 3 lbs. or more. If in doubt, you can always go to the next higher rate and if the actual shipping is significantly less than that either refund the difference or toss in extra plants. Refunding over payment of shipping first shocks customers and then it encourages loyalty. You can also give a store credit for over payment. Once you have the weight of the box, it's plugged into the shipping section of the eBay listing, Bonanzle, or website and when the customer checks out, shipping cost is calculated from the zip codes.

The address labels can be paid for and printed online through the USPS, PayPal, eBay, and through some website set ups. Or, it can be hand written and taken to the post office to be weighed. If done online, an added advantage is that pick up from the post office can be arranged or it's a simple matter of walking into the post office and handing the items over.

NOTE: no matter what way you make out the address labels, make sure you get delivery confirmation, either at the time it is weighed at the post office or online. It is free for packages online through the post office or PayPal. Send the confirmation number to the person and they can track it. It also gives the seller great peace of mind because they have proof they sent the package and there is proof of whether or not it was delivered. The buyer appreciates it as well.

Shipping plants internationally.

First, a PayPal account is absolutely necessary for doing international business. This allows the buyer to pay in his/her currency and the seller gets paid in their currency. Some credit card companies will do international transactions, but PayPal does them all. This is done without any effort on the part of either the buyer or seller. Fees for PayPal transactions are paid by the seller, which is a small percentage of the total transaction. It is a safe method of paying and accepting money because the seller never sees the buyers account information and the seller has the money deposited into their account.

Plants can be shipped internationally but it is risky. Time required in transit and getting through inspection in customs may cause the plants to die. In addition, they need to be phyto-certified which means they were inspected and found free from pests and disease. A paper is issued which must be on the box during shipment. If a box does not have this, the plants are confiscated and destroyed. Getting this certificate costs money and there is no guarantee the plants get to their destination in a timely fashion. Dogs, particularly beagles are used in many countries, and now states, to find plant material so unmarked boxes may not get through either. I own a beagle. They are noses with feet. They live to sniff and she constantly amazes us with her olfactory acuteness.

Seeds are much easier to ship and get into countries. Every country has its own standards but Australia has the strictest. I make it the responsibility of the customer to find out if certain species are allowed and I will not change the names of the seeds so they can get them. I also make it known that I am not responsible for replacement if the seeds are confiscated. All that is required on your end is to fill out a customs form at the post office. It's a small bit of in triplicate papers with a declaration of what is inside and its value. It is not complicated and costs nothing and it must be on the package. I have shipped seeds all around the world and charge $3.00 US for an unlimited amount of seeds.

NOTE: If you have carnivorous plants, it is not legal to ship them or their seeds out of the country unless you have all the proper documentation to show they were not taken from the wild. All of the carnivorous plants are considered endangered and their movement is strictly scrutinized.

U.S. Shipping Restrictions.

There are a few states that have very strict standards for allowing plant material in. California, Arizona, and Hawaii all have strict regulations and rightly so. California and Arizona grow most of the nation's food and seed crops. They do not want pests brought in that may ruin an industry or cause a food shortage. Hawaii is a state which has issues of alien species disrupting the ecosystems. California and Arizona require phyto-certification, which is paperwork and inspections, to certify the material is free from pests. Beagles are employed to sniff out packages containing plant material which is not properly documented. Those packages are confiscated and destroyed. [http://www.maniplantsandmalas.com]Mani Plants and Malas is a website which sells perennial plants, seeds, medicinal herb plants, African violets, carnivorous plants, malas which are Buddhist prayer beads, and information in the form of ebooks and e-articles. Ebooks and articles will be on an array of subjects including gardening, pest management, organic growing and non plant topics as well. The latest e-book is [http://www.maniplantsandmalas.com/servlet/the-e-dsh-books-and-e-dsh-articles/...]Starting A Plant and Seed Business.

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Take Your Home Based Tax Preparation Business to the Next Level

Several affordable options to consider are:

Temporary retail and storefront lease options
Coop Office Share leases
Use Complimentary Businesses' lobby space

When searching out retail or storefront leasing options, it is important to keep in mind that commercial real estate is in a difficult time. With the sluggish economy, they have been one of the industries toughest hit. You should consider approaching them for the availability of a short term lease of your desired space. You see these types of lease done by Halloween costume stores, and political campaign offices. They, just as you, do not need their storefront available to customers year-round. You might have to pay a little bit more than they typical price per square foot, but you are not tied into a multiple year contract and you do not have a rent payment due in July when you have zero cash flow. The negative of this temporary lease option is that if your business does a significant number of returns you will find that your competitors will want to acquire your spot and you might find that it is no longer available come next December. If you find that your new store front provides a significant boost in business, you should compose a return on investment analysis and determine if it makes sense to lock that location down for a longer period.

Coop office shares are becoming more and more popular in recent years. These office buildings often offer a number of individual offices under one roof where they rent out specific spaces to individuals. These offices typically come with access to community printers, copiers, faxes, wifi internet, conference room facilities, and other business related tools. Generally utilities are included in your monthly rent and lease periods are not unreasonably long. The amenities and services available typically vary in relation to monthly rental fees. Be sure to do your homework if considering one of these facilities for your next big move for your home based tax business as there are typically many different options at a variety of price points.

Utilizing a complementary business is growing in popularity among home based tax preparers looking to increase their exposure and foot traffic. To make an educated decision on what type of industry and which businesses you need to approach for potential synergies, you need to look at this as a mutually beneficial partnership. You should attempt to have similar target markets as the businesses you are approaching. A good example of this is for a tax preparer whose clients typically request rapid refund services; a check cashing facility would be share in the benefit of having you preparer and issue tax refund checks in their lobbies. You would benefit from being in front of more clients within your demographic target market, and they would benefit because you would be producing more tax checks for them to likely cash from within their existing customer base. Be aware when approaching this option that many businesses, especially those in the financial service industry, are very wary of outside security threats, so be willing to provide your own internet connection and phone line if necessary. Other common complementary businesses are insurance offices, payday loan stores, and local community centers.

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Why Smart Network Marketers Avoid the Hotel & Home Meeting

All of the arrangements have been confirmed, all of the guests have their invitations and everything is a go! So the night of the big event, you walk into the nice setting presentation room, where the viewing projector and all of the seating is located. You have just past the lobby area, where the aroma of the post presentation refreshments were. What a spectacular environment you have created, for the ultimate guest experience.

Momentarily Your Hotel or home meeting will be bombarded with a barrage of guest that are hungry for your business opportunity. Now you notice that its getting late, the event is going to start at 9 PM EST, its 8:45 and only one person is there so far. You don't pay it any mind because you know traffic or other elements may present an issue. That is understandable, but now its 9:15 and still only one person has been accounted for.

Your heart begins to race at this point, because you know how much time, effort and money you put into your home meeting. All of your precious energy will be lost if nothing comes out of this event, it has to work, "people will come, I know it"! You think these thoughts of positive self persuasion. At last it is 9:45 and no one showed up but that one person, who was only curious and not really interested in the first place. Oh My God!

This home meeting was a complete disaster and waste of my time, effort and hard earned money. Rejection, frustration and the desire to quit, will eventually creep into your mind. So what do smart network marketers do instead? Simple, the knowledgeable ones target their market specifically. These pros market only to other marketers wanting what they have to offer, not just any curious needy people, which home meetings attract.

To compound the dilemma, without the knowledge of targeting, non marketers will invite other non marketers to a hotel or home meeting. Now you have a room full of people, if any showed up, who know nothing about building a business. You're now stuck with a network marketing kindergarten, who most likely can't and will not help your business grow. Now do you see why smart network marketers avoid home meetings?

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Why Rent a Virtual Office?

You can rent virtual space at cheap prices. You can find fantastic bargaining opportunities online or you can ask a few friends and acquaintances if they know of some place which can be rented out to you. You can talk to a real estate broker to clinch a deal for you or you can check the local search directory online or phone directory for cheap rentals on virtual offices. Make sure that when you take this place, it is reasonably accommodating and aesthetically pleasing to people who visit you. You will be using this room for training, interviewing, induction, meeting with client, conference calls etc.

Obviously, it is a good thing to have this office near the vicinity of your home, but it is fine if you get a cheaper one far off from your place. You have to make sure that the virtual office that you take on rent has rooms for holding meetings, a kitchenette and a lobby or waiting room Make sure that you have a computer, a whiteboard, video conferencing facility, scanner, copier etc so that you can your work seamlessly.

Many people are enjoying resounding success by renting a virtual office. You will be surprised to know that some of the best names in online business are operating in virtual space and they rent virtual office to store goods, supplies and packages or do brainstorming with their team.

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When Overhead Equals Underpaid

Here are some things to look out for in an MLM company, which also apply to some traditional companies:

Big fancy office building
Big fancy sign
Extensive grounds and landscaping
Expensive decorating
Big staff of customer service representatives
Corporate jet
Payment fees or odd payment methods
Let's tackle the office building first. This is largely a matter of prestige, and not too surprising when you consider the personality type of many corporate leaders. Just as they seem to need expensive jewelry, expensive clothing and shoes, a fancy sports car, and membership at the most exclusive golf country club, they want their office building to scream "we are wealthy."

Whom do you want to impress? If your company does most or all of its business on the Internet, and no customers have a need to visit your office, why would they care about a fancy building? In fact, might they assume a fancy building means a higher price for the product? Employees want a nice and comfortable office, but they probably care more about a decent paycheck. Distributors want good commissions, and may never visit the office in person. The size of the staff will dictate the size of the office space needed (more on that later) but it still doesn't mean you need a fancy building on separate grounds.

The signs and the landscaping go with the building. If you rent space in a building with multiple tenants, the landlord does the landscaping (probably just enough to make it look decent, not outstanding) and you share outside signage or maybe just have a small sign inside to tell people your suite number.

Decorating can be outrageous either way, but the people who want the prestigious building usually want fancy decorating too. Do they have a big fountain or waterfall in the lobby, lots of exotic plants, marble floors, or skylights? The initial cost is high, and there is ongoing maintenance for all of these fancy trappings.

Companies do in fact need some customer service representatives. But how many? Every viable company now has a website. The more customers can order online, submit questions via email or find the answer in a FAQ section, the less people you need answering phones. As much as I despise them sometimes, even VRUs (voice response units, those pesky computers that answer the phone and try their best to keep you away from a live person) have their place in streamlining operations. But some companies have made it TOO hard to reach a real person. So you do need a balance to keep customers happy, but in today's computerized world you should not need very many people answering phones.

Do you need a corporate jet? In one traditional company I worked for, we learned that the president of the company was using the corporate jet to drop in on golf tournaments where his son was competing. In another company, despite having big offices in 2 cities and needing people to go back and forth all of the time, they did a study and decided that using commercial airlines was far cheaper than keeping the corporate jets. They sold the jets.

If you are a distributor for an MLM, does the company assess a fee from every check or deposit? Traditional companies do not, because it isn't necessary! Does your company deposit your commissions to a debit card instead of sending you a check? It might sound cool at first but let me tell you why they do that:

They earn interest on the money you haven't used yet, instead of you earning it
They keep anything left in the account for too long, or after you quit
The first one is obvious. Of course if the company mails a check, they get interest on the money during the mailing time. But once you deposit the check, if you don't need the money right away then you can earn interest on it. It might not be much but why shouldn't you get that money instead of them? The second issue is one that I just realized recently. In some places you can't use a credit or debit card to pay part of the price and pay the rest with another card, or cash or check. Any some businesses have a minimum purchase requirement to use a card. So if you have just a few dollars left on the card, how do you use it? If you transfer the money to your bank account, they assess another fee. So if you have $1.51 on your card and the transfer fee is $1.50, would you do the transfer to get 1 cent? Most people won't! So where does the $1.51 go? Knowing the dropout rate in MLM, think how much money could potentially be left on those cards, and where does it end up? I don't know the answer, except that it does NOT end up with the distributor!

Fancy office, or fat paycheck?

Are you seeing stars instead of having stars in your eyes?

Dale Reynolds http://dale-reynolds.com

Success is a decision. Decide today!

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?When-Overhead-Equals-Underpaid&id=3968153] When Overhead Equals Underpaid

How to Start a Home Photography Business in North Carolina

The short answer, for me at least, was "yes." The long answer, however, was, "It depends on how much time you want to spend running around and researching the requirements."

Fortunately for you, I've done it already in North Carolina and am willing to share the results (for this state, at least!).

For the purposes of this article, I'm assuming the following things are true:

1. You will be operating this business in the state of North Carolina.
2. You already have the photography expertise to qualify as a professional photographer (that's another article all by itself).
3. You've done the necessary research to determine whether you have the time, energy, potential customer base, and business plan to ensure your new venture succeeds (again, this topic is another article on its own).

The first step was determining what kind of business entity to be. After doing much research online, I was a bit confused, until a CPA explained it to me: there is a difference between your LEGAL status and your TAX status. She recommended that my photography business be an LLC (limited liability company), but file taxes as a sole proprietor.

As with all the different options, there are positives and negatives to each option. LLC status would protect me from personal liability in the event of a lawsuit, which was important to me. The paperwork is very easy to prepare and submit, which is also good because I wanted to take care of everything myself.

Filing taxes as a sole proprietor would be very simple: just attach a Schedule C to my personal tax return each year. Although this filing status is easy enough, sole proprietors pay a slightly higher tax rate than S-Corporations.

Filing as an S-Corp, however, means more paperwork and filing quarterly taxes instead of a Schedule C with my annual return. I wasn't interested in that much paperwork, so sole proprietor status is fine with me. If and when my business starts making so much money that I'm interested in a lower tax rate, I can always change my status to an S-Corp.

Now that I've determined my legal status and tax status, I had to file for my LLC with the state of North Carolina. This involves sending a check for $125 to the Secretary of State, along with Articles of Organization, which can be downloaded and filled out from their web page.

It takes about 7-10 days for your status to come back confirmed, although if you include a note and your e-mail address, they will e-mail it to you which will save a few days.

The state of North Carolina considers photographers to be one of those lucky professions that require a State Privilege License. This is an annual license granted to the person, not the business, so if you end up working for a different photography business in the future, you don't need to get a second license that year. A privilege license is $200, from the North Carolina Revenue Office. This must be done in person, but the Revenue Department has offices all over the state, so there's probably one in a city near you.

While I was there, I also received a State Tax ID. This is (fortunately) free, and it will come in handy because armed with this important number, I will no longer need to pay sales tax when purchasing items for my business (assuming I'm purchasing from a North Carolina vendor; obviously you don't pay sales tax at all when purchasing from an out-of-state vendor, such as when I buy lenses online).

The friendly and helpful NC revenue employee explained to me that two forms will need to be mailed into the NC Revenue Office each quarter. One is a form explaining what your revenues for the quarter were and how much tax you charged your clients. You will need to include a check for the tax amount. The other form shows what equipment you purchased for your business that quarter and didn't pay tax on. You will need to include a check for 1% of the total (hey, at least it's lower than paying the full retail tax on your purchases). This includes everything from cameras and lenses to printers, computers, paper, ink cartridges, etc.

They fortunately explained how I need to charge my clients state tax. Tax does not apply to services, so there is no tax if I charge someone $500 to shoot their wedding. However, taxes apply to tangible goods, so if the bride ends up purchasing $800 worth of prints from me, taxes apply. The tax rate that applies depends on where the client took possession of the goods. If the client lives in Gaston County and asks me to mail her the prints, the Gaston County rate applies. If the bride decides to swing by my house in Charlotte to pick them up personally, the Mecklenburg County rate applies.

Tax was by far the most complicated part of the business-formation process. Fortunately the employees at the NC revenue office were very helpful, and gave me several "cheat sheets," sample forms, and (best of all) their phone numbers for me to call with questions.

If you want your NC State Tax ID to be in your business' name, instead of your own name, you will need a Employer Identification Number from the IRS. I was initially confused by this, because I wasn't planning on employing anyone other than myself, but as it turns out, the Employer Identification Number has nothing to do with employing anyone. Luckily it was free and handled easily over the phone while I waited in the lobby of the state revenue office.

Now there's the matter of where you live. I'm a resident of Charlotte, so I'm in Mecklenburg County. Fortunately, Mecklenburg County recognizes the State Privilege License, so I wasn't required to get an additional County business license.

I was, however, required to get a Customary Home Occupation Permit from the Zoning Office. This is a one-time permit that allows me to work from home. This is a lifetime permit; however, it only applies to this particular address. If I decided to move to a different house in a few years, I will have to get a new permit. It cost $125.

Next, I needed a business checking account. I went straight to Wachovia, since they already handle our personal bank accounts and I wanted everything in one place for convenience. Wachovia needed copies of my privilege license, my EIN, and my state tax ID, as well as the normal documents for a new account like my driver's license. In about a week, I had received my check card and checks for the account. This is highly recommended by the CPA I visited, in order to keep business and personal expenses separate.

The final thing I needed was business insurance. This is recommended in addition to any homeowner or umbrella liability coverage you may already have. It's not too expensive (less than $200 per year) so go ahead and get it. Any insurance agent will be able to go over the options with you. Business insurance will not only cover your equipment in the event any of those expensive lenses or cameras get damaged, but will also help in case a guest trips over one of your lightstands at a wedding, for example.

A few side notes: if your business is an LLC, you are legally required to have the initials "LLC" or the words "Limited Liability Company" in your business name. This makes it clear to all customers and potential customers that you are an LLC. Also, if you do not keep your business and personal expenses separate, you lose the protection of an LLC (meaning your personal assets are vulnerable in the event of a lawsuit). DO NOT RISK THIS -- keep everything well documented and separate!

Best of luck with your new business venture! I recommend visiting the North Carolina State business development website and calling their hotline; they gave me a lot of tips the CPA didn't mention, and it was free to boot! Fortunately there is a lot of support out there for people starting their own businesses. It's free, and these people know what they're talking about -- please take advantage of it!

Elizabeth Morrison is a self-employed business owner in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Her photography studio, Elizabeth Morrison Photography LLC, specializes in contemporary family photography. http://www.elizabethmorrisonphotography.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Start-a-Home-Photography-Business-in-North-C...] How to Start a Home Photography Business in North Carolina