So I wonder what the right answer is for my business?

I am starting a tax company, now what?

So there are a ton of things I have done to get to this point but I will start by saying I am completely committed to starting a tax accounting company. I have worked for Liberty Tax for Two years (one as general manager), I have also worked for a CPA firm, I completed my degree in accounting.

Why I decided to go for it.

I wanted to find a super good job and get to work to bad I graduated with a recession making things hard. I had a job offer but then after November 2008 being a hard time and the out look for 2009 not looking great, my offer was declined. I was sad and so was my wife. I can't find a good job, so I have to make money so, I'm putting up my shingle and getting to work.

#1, I must get customers

I did run a window cleaning in college and one thing I learned the more I advertise that means the more money I can make, crazy huh? So, I am completely committed to spending a tremendous amount on advertising with valpak. I have decided on how I will do things and what will happen with the ad, I completely believe my ad is the best tax preparing ad in the bunch, so I plan on good response, but I have no idea what that means, hopefully it will give me the number of people I need to get me to 100% efficiency, no more no less.

A bad business paradox!

I have been reading articles on the topic "What makes a great service company?" Everyone says you must provide the BEST customer service, here is my problem there are so many incredibly successful service companies out there and from my experience they don't have even decent customer service compared to what these articles are suggesting, so I don't understand how this can happen. Any suggestions, how can this be why do we happily go to companies that treat us sub-par? Why do great friendly local companies fail?

The problem with college

So I just graduated from college. It's interesting there are several problems with college, I'm just going to rant about one thing. Why do professors like to compare college to a job. I know they think that's why they are here so they can get a good job. Do you know the problem with that? I will never have to work at a job where I need to study biology, algebra, creative writing, spanish, and art appreciation in the same day. I may "use" all these things but no more then at a common sense level. And another reason this is stupid is because at an office job the manager is responsible for helping you to be successful, and every good manager knows they personally responsible for the success of their employees. They need to read good management books to learn what makes a good manager such as: they need to make assignments clear and achievable, they need to do regular and frequent evaluations of their students (employees). They need to make sure we understand what they want. The only thing that teachers do when they say college is like work is to say "College is like a job so you need to work harder" stupid huh?

All in all college is not about learning what makes a good employee its about getting a good GPA that's 90% of what employers care about anyway.

Starting a second business

So I have started couple of new businesses doing tax preparation. I just graduated from college in Accounting. I have taken several business classes and website design classes. I have also done a lot of online marketing classes.

I have designed my website unclesamexpress.com it shows a lot of my website, tax and payroll skills. I can help anyone in the State of Idaho. All other states I can do as well, I'm just more comfortable with Idaho.

I have been running a window cleaning business for three years and want to start to branch out by helping people with their taxes and bookkeeping. I also want to help with web design work and website marketing.

I have been very nervous about it because I have become comfortable with marketing window washing, and I know what kind of response I get from my ads. I am nervous about starting a new company.

It's fun to be at the beginning of the process again. I really need to move more to these new businesses because I will be able to do them from my home office a little easier then the other then window cleaning where I have to go out and work at people's homes all the time.

I am nervous and excited all over again. Wish me luck

Etsy

Etsy is full of amazing and beautiful things.
It would be a shame if your beautiful work didn't sell because your description of the item left your customers scratching their heads.

This is a list to jump start your thinking when you write your next item description. Remember that your customer cannot see the item in person. Don't assume that the qualities of your item are obvious to your customer or that your photos say it all. (I have seen more than one item that I couldn't even figure out what the item WAS!). You might even consider describing your item as if you had no pictures for your customer to look at. Really make them feel like they are right there with your item.

This is not an all inclusive list and some questions may not be appropriate for all items or sellers. This list is just to get you thinking about some of the things your customer might want to know about your fabulous work.

1. What IS it? (It may be totally obvious to you what the item is, but it might not be obvious to your customer).

2. What color is it? (The color on your computer monitor may not be the same as mine).

3. How big is it? (As a buyer I don't want to guess if that painting will fit over my fireplace or if those earrings are going to hang past my shoulders).

4. What is it made from? (What materials and techniques are used?)

5. How do I care for it? (Can I wash and dry that wool sweater?)

6. Who should buy it? or Who should NOT buy it? (Is it appropriate for pregnant women? Children? Pets?)

7. What is it used for? (Is it decorative? Does it have a function? Both?)

8. What does it feel like? (Is that scarf soft to the touch? What's the texture like? Is that necklace very heavy?)

9. How does it work? (Does it slip over my head? Is there a clasp? Do I tie it around my waist?)

10. Why is this one better than the one in the next shop? (What special skills, materials, or ideas do you use that make your item the best?)

11. Do I get everything in the picture? (I see 12 items in your picture, do I get them all? Only one? Does that lovely bauble in the background come with it or is it just for display?)

12. Will it fit me? (When I shop in a brick and mortar shop I might try on 12 things and find only 1 that fits well. I am taking a BIG chance on buying clothes online. Please make it easier for me by offering extensive measurement and sizing information. Don't assume that your customer will know what you mean by "small" or "Large")

13. What if it doesn't fit? (Am I stuck with it? Will you exchange it? Who pays to ship it back?)

14. Is it ready to use? (Is that painting ready to hang? Do I need to frame it first?)

15. How does it arrive? (Is it gift wrapped? Is it ready to ship or is it made to order?)

16. Will I get the EXACT item in the photo? (Is it a stock photo or do I get the exact item?)

17. Is it gonna stink? (Does that vintage item have a funky, musty odor? Does the seller smoke while he creates that item?)

18. How do I know it's "vintage"? (What kind of research did you do to determine how old that item is? Is it marked? Is there a date on it? Are you experienced with vintage and antique items?)

19. What do those fancy terms mean? (Don't take for granted that your customer knows what a cabochon is or what giclee or gocco means.)

20. Can I live without this item? (Chances are your customer can easily live without your items. It's your job to SELL it to them. Let them know why owning this item is so wonderful. Are they gonna feel like a princess with that lovely bracelet? Is that platter not only functional, but makes a wonderful work of art? Is that item the perfect gift for hard to buy for people? Does the item evoke certain emotions? Tell us what's so great about it!)

Social Media or smores

What is a smore? It's a social media whore, I just learned that today, never heard it before. Alright so I really enjoy writing down stuff on my blog, I don't mind twitter, and facebook it helps me keep up with people. I want to try linkedin, but I haven't gotten around to it. I want to try to get more professional people as followers.

I want to ask a question: How do you keep up with your online media?
I can understand why some people try to stay away from it. I really find my blog important because I like having a history of what is important to me at certain times in life, but facebook once a month, twitter, I don't know how I feel about it yet.

Okay some of the best resources anyone can have for their business are:
Score.org
Entrepreneur.com
Also good places to get information is your states website for starting a business almost every state has one, and sometimes you just need to google a question.

I also find that people give free advice online about all kinds of businesses and really from one industry to another you are going to have similar problems. So look for help from any successful business person and you be stepping in the right direction.

#1 way to get more cash for your business, is to bill people immediately, and start accepting credit cards.
Paypal and Google Check out are free, so get started taking credit card payments.

Also go to Freshbooks.com and they have a sweet program that gets your invoices sent fast, professionally and they help you keep up with who's paid and who hasn't. Check it out.

What is a bounce rate?

Bounce rate is one of the most important analytics information that is given to you from your google analytics. So what is the bounce rate? The bounce rate is the percent of people who visit your website and then leave without looking at any other webpage.

Why is a high Bounce Rate bad?
The reason that it is bad is because when people get to your website they are not getting what they are looking for. Once they clicked on your ad, or referral links they went to your website and didn't like what they saw.

How can I improve my Bounce Rate?
There are two ways to really improve your bounce rate, first you want to make sure that the keyword, or referral link is relevant, if the keyword isn't producing results, then you should just get rid of it. The other option is to take the webpage viewer to a page that is more relevant to them.

For instance, on my website I do accounting and web design services, if I setup an adwords account that was about tax preparation I would send them to my tax preparation services website, not my homepage. Your homepage often doesn't tell the user specific information which is what will engage them. Once they have read the information that they are looking for they are more likely to continue looking around.

Also this will increase your average time on your site which is usually a good thing.

If you haven't created a google analyics account start today by going to

Get a Web Site Built for $100

If you are looking to have a website built, it's a good idea to visit with friends that have some experience with web design. They can usually get you moving in the right direction, there are several articles online that will teach you about how you want your site to look and feel. Once you know what you want usually someone with a little knowledge can get you started in the right direction.

Unclesamexpress.com have a monthly service plan that allows you to get a website up and running for 21.99 a month, this is the cheapest you will find on the internet. The reason for this is because I don't really care to make a lot of money with web design, I enjoy spending time making websites, and seeing other business owners succeed.

Enjoy your business,

David Rudd

Tracking Who is Looking at your Blog

Find out where they are coming from
One of the best free ways to track who is looking at your blog you want to use Google analytics. It helps you track where the visitors live, what keywords were used to find you and how long they visited your site.
This is helpful if you plan on doing any local advertising you will know the best place to place your ads.
If you are planning to do direct mail, a trade show booth, or a flee market you will want to do it where people are interested.
Set goals for your website
you can set goals for your website, see how many people are visiting the blog section of your website, see how many are checking out.

Its easy to setup
All you need to do is go to analytics.google.com and login using your normal gmail username and password. Then you can click add account, it will ask you for basic information. Then go to your blog template settings and click on edit HTML. You will want to copy and paste the tracking code Google gives you just before the bottom, just above where it says < / body >

It takes 24 hours before google will start giving you information.