home base business

Which Of These Businesses Do You Think Will Survive?

By: Troy White

I’ll warn you now… this is not going to be a pleasant article.

I try and give upbeat, positive tips and advice on improving your marketing and advertising.

This time I am going to rant… and review.

After being on some R&R with my family for a week and a half on the lakes in Montana, I have come to the conclusion that service SUCKS!

Nothing revolutionary…

I was just surprised on how BAD this is getting.

Honestly, how often do you get “wowed” by customer service?

Never?

It is amazing to me how poorly customer service people treat their customers.

They could care less that YOU are the one paying their wages. They could care less if you have a pleasant experience.

They could care less what you think of them.

They feel you owe them a tip ‘ for nothing in return.

They feel you owe them pleasant treatment, while delivering the opposite back.

They feel they are entitled to a successful, happy life and not having to put anything in to it in return.

Why?

I have a number of theories, some of which won’t be popular.

1) The younger generation (under 25) ‘ those in most of the customer service jobs ‘ are (in many cases) a bunch of spoiled kids. They have things too easy from home, and they expect the workforce to give them the same treatment.

We have raised an entire generation of whiney, over-ego- inflated, sense-of-entitlement-for-no-reason, “brats”.

Told you this won’t be popular.

(Not all of them are this way though, thankfully)

I have been reading articles about this and doing my research. Books have been written on the subject of the younger generation and how they think and act about their work.

Not good.

At all. They were pampered at home.

They were never disciplined properly (the spankings I grew up with now get you a visit from social services).

They were handed money for not having to do their chores.

They get out of school and get VERY good paying jobs without having to prove themselves.

They grew up without real supervision (dual income families) ‘ and don’t think they should have to be supervised in the workplace.

They think customers suck

And they are going to KILL your business.

(I am NOT saying they are ALL like this ‘ but there IS a reason books and articles and training classes are now being offered on how to employ this generation)

2) My second theory is that businesses just don’t care anymore.

They try advertising ‘ by copying their competitors. Didn’t work for them, but I’m sure it will for me!

They try different marketing techniques ‘ again by copying the only people they know ‘ their competitors.

They hear all the junk in the media ‘ economy, business failures, bankruptcy, interest rates, war. the list goes on and on.

They don’t associate with those who ARE doing well in business. They listen to the mumbling and groaning from those who are struggling… and (go figure) they end up in a similar situation.

They get treated like crap everywhere they go ‘ so that must be the way you do business in this day and age ‘ right?

(Honestly, do you feel that the people you buy from on a regular basis actually appreciate the fact you are putting your money in their pockets? It is a rare day when I see people who do).

Like it or love it, my 2 thoughts on this above could be the demise of your business… or mine. If I don’t appreciate those who buy from me ‘ I could be the one people complain about.

If you don’t ‘ it will be your business.

Find ways to SHOW your appreciation.

1) Have your staff accountable to be NICE to the people who pay their paychecks (the customers). If you find them not caring or treating people right FIRE THEM. You are the boss ‘ it is your company ‘ and you have full right to fire people who treat your customers poorly.

Best advice I heard on this ‘ “Hire slow ‘ fire fast”. Take the time to get comfortable with the person and if they will fit it and do their job. If they don’t do what they are supposed to ‘ get rid of them!

2) Send thank you cards and emails to people

3) Surprise them with gifts or special discounts (for existing customers only)

4) If your company DOES mess up give the customer a reason to come back againa gift as an apology, a free meal at a restaurant in town ‘ something (anything) will be noticed.

Customers are getting used to being treated like crap (sad) so be the one who treats them like gold.

They are the ones paying you and your staff, make sure they know that you appreciate them!

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_8884.shtml

Interesting Facts About The New Business Tax Law

By: Dean Forster

Before getting involved into any business deductions, one should first have a good understanding of the business tax law. The business tax law involves the taxation of income and property acquired through professional efforts. In addition to income tax, there is sales tax, capital gains tax, property tax, and other areas of tax. Every business liable for income tax must keep a record of all transactions made so that the total amount of the gross income can be estimated. The interesting thing about business tax law are the changes made by the Bush administration with the ‘Tax Increase Preven-tion and Reconcilia-tion Act of 2005.’ This act includes several important business tax changes that will examine.

The new business tax law allows small business to deduct up to $100,000 of investments in qualifying depreciable assets through 2007. Also, under current law, the domestic manufacturing deduction is also limited to 50% of a taxpayer’s total W-2 wages. The new law modifies the wage limitation so that taxpayers may only include W-2 wages that are deducted in arriving at qualified production activities income.

For all you business owners out there, there are some advices that you can use in respect to those business tax law changes. First of all, you can continue to treat dividend payments at the lower rate.

The main business tax increases in the new law consists of - limiting the foreign earned income exclusion for housing expenses; repealing the foreign sales corporation and extraterritorial income exclusion benefits for certain “grandfathered” contracts; denying tax-free treatment to certain “cash-rich” spin-off transactions; and requiring withholding after 2010 on government contract payments.

The act also modifies certain corporate estimated tax payment requirements for large corporations (those with a minimum of $1 billion in assets), requires reporting of interest on tax-exempt bonds, and applies the earnings-stripping rules to corporate partners. Other business revenue-raisers affect foreign investors in U.S. real estate, major integrated oil companies and pooled financing bonds. Find out more about tax law and tools at http://www.localtaxabatement.com

According to the new business tax law, the self-employed tax contribution base is increased from $94,200 to about $102,000 in 2008. The self-employment tax rate continues to be 15.3%. The full rate applies to the first $102,000 of self-employment income; after that only the 2.9% Medicare tax applies.

Keep in mind that US business are taxed on their worldwide income. In other words, no matter where your business earns money from (in terms of geographic locations), it’s still treated as income taxable in the US. There is just one exception to this rule and it’s only if your business is located outside of the US and you reside there for most of the year.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_8941.shtml