Your Questions About Business Online Services Group

Jere answers:

EZdia is a leading company that offers quality and affordable online design services to its customers worldwide.It is widely recognized as leaders in Internet Marketing and one of the Most Popular Design Providing companies on the web.It’s group of designers, art directors, visualizers and copy editors are standing by to help you develop professional marketing communications, ranging from logos and business cards to web sites and a social media presence.

Jere answers:

I’ve gotten grant monies but not to start a business

It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for starting a for-profit business.

One possible exception is for companies developing or exporting agricultural goods, including food and forest product. Another exception could be the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbir/index.html , which fund the research and development of technological innovation that meets specific government needs.

Your best bet actually will be from the states if they offer grant programs for women (or any other special interest groups — minorities, women, disabled, veterans, etc). Or check with non profit organizations, particularly women organizations if they offer grants. Examples include

Iowa Women’s Foundation http://www.iawf.org/
New Mexico Women’s Foundation http://www.nmwf.org/guidelines.html

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/mostrequesteditems/CON_FAQ2.html

“The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments.”

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov – these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.

Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business — THERE’S NONE.
Http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show

Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. Minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT – Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women’s Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women’s business center that will train women entrepreneurs

Jere answers:

Please don’t be discouraged by the inaccurate comment on the discussion board. Lots of people work at home. The person who takes your order at 1800Flowers or books your reservation at hotels.com is probably working from home. It’s not exactly the same as working for a brick and mortar business but can be rewarding in its own way.

You mentioned “sites.” If you mean sites that are set up to promote a particular opportunity, they’re probably not reliable. The first rule of thumb is, if you have to pay for it it’s not a job and it’s probably not legitimate. Ignore the places that promise thousands of dollars a week for little work, that want you to invest, that make you buy materials or that say you can make tons of money promoting or selling something. The sites you want are forums or discussion groups that list WAM vacancies and also have areas where people discuss the companies/jobs. That way you’ll get a good idea of which ones are genuine and what it’s like to work for the companies. Search for WAM sites like Workplace Like Home and The Rat Race Rebellion. That’s where you’ll find both jobs and information.

Working at home usually doesn’t pay as well as regular jobs. The pay ranges from about $8 per hour to $25. Be skeptical of those in the higher range. On the other hand, factor in that you won’t need transportation, work clothes or to go out to lunch.

WAM jobs often aren’t steady. Sometimes the work comes in batches, with periods of no work in between. You’ll likely be paid only for the time you’re working. If you want to do eight hours worth of work a day be prepared to work more than eight actual hours. Many WAM workers have more than one job for this reason.

With a WAM job you’re more likely to be an independent contractor than an employee. An important aspect of that is you’ll need to plan on paying the total amount of income taxes, which could amount to approximately 25% of your income. Few WAM jobs offer benefits like health insurance or paid vacations, so consider that, as well.

There are a variety of types of WAM jobs. They include sales, transcription, customer service, writing, site moderation, examination grading, medical coding, adult industry and data entry, to name just a few. Some companies concentrate primarily on WAM workers, others have just a few jobs that are done that way.

With the current economy, although there seem to be more WAM jobs, there are also more people wanting them. It’s competitive. Just as with B&M jobs, you’ll need to be a good fit, having the experience and skills the employer wants. Freshen your resume and be sure your computer abilities are up to date. Even in non IT fields, you’ll often need to be familar with some of the major software packages or navigating the internet.

Jere answers:

You don’t want your business to be a job so choose something you really love. The next step is a lot of research. Look at other businesses doing the same thing and are good at it. What are the materials they use and where is the cheapest place to get it but have quality too. What is your profit range? Its nice to start off copying someone partly but look for your difference that will make you stand out from everyone. Next is to choose your audience. What age group and money group is best for your business? Do you want to go online? Where is the best place to sell or are you choosing a service?. Next, what are your start up fees? What type of marketing and marketing products would be best for you? Do you need to get a loan and if so what banking choices do you have? Remember most businesses don’t pull a profit right away. Some may take a year or two depending on the business. So to recap:
1. Choose your business
selling products or a service
2.Research Everything and check out other companies close to what you want
3.Cost of making products or performing service
4.Pricing (price comparison)
5.Start up cost (rent, gas, car, business permits, products, etc..)
6.Demographics (age group and money group)
7.Marketing
8.Check for anything you may have missed and then put it all together and tweak it to your best.

Here is a great link to find out more info of what you need: http://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business

Copy and paste into your url and hit go

Jere answers:

A true business credit card is a line of credit that is taken in the name of the business, under the business’ credit. Activity, whether good or bad, is reflected on your business’ credit report through D&B and other financial institutions, and the liability for any debts incurred and bills owed is with the business.

However, some companies out there offer “business” credit cards which they require a person guarantee for. These institutions will often ask for a personal guarantee, and will almost always ask for a social security number from the person applying for the card. If this is the case, the credit card is not a business credit card, but is simply a personal credit card which is used for the business. The business is not liable for bills and debts – you are.

When applying for a credit card for your business, watch out for areas asking for your SSN (and not your TaxID or EIN) and be wary of any credit card that asks for a personal guarantee. By ensuring that your credit card is in the name of your business, you can help to build your business’ credit, while avoiding creating problems with your own.

Many companies offer a list of credit cards that are issued under the business name only. Those lists typically run $300-$900, depending on the quality of the information inquiring. I would suggest starting your search online via google or yahoo. Search for “strong business credit” (just like that in quotes) to find services that sell the information.

Good luck,

Ilya Bodner
Small Business Owner
Initial Underwriting Group