Business Basics
Aside from the finances needed to start a business, you also need to get a few things going before opening your doors:
1. Get a Federal EIN (Emploment ID Number). An EIN is important, especially if you want to buy things wholesale. Some wholesalers require a Federal Tax ID number in order to get their wholesaler discount. On the IRS website, you may answer NO to all their qualifying questions under the link, “Do You Need an EIN?”, but I would still recommend applying for one. It’s free, doesn’t hurt to have one, and all it can do is help you.
2. Sales Tax Permit – Contact your state’s Department of Revenue or apply on their website for a permit. This, along with an Exemption Certificate, will allow you to buy products from wholesalers without being charged sales tax. Check with the wholesaler on their policies.
3. If you have employees, you need to also apply with your local Workforce Development or State Labor Department to be able to pay Unemployment Insurance. All employers are required to pay unemployment insurance taxes. Your tax accountant will usually not file your W-2’s and W-3 in January without it, either.
- Find a good tax accountant. Here are two that I’ve used: ProTaxCare and TD&T Financial. ProTaxCare is out of Beverly Hills, CA, but they are very good at documenting what you’ve emailed, faxed, or mailed in. TD&T Financial offers tax services as well as financial services, so you can take care of your investment and tax needs all in the same place.
5. Setup a Business Bank Account. It’s important to separate personal versus business expenses from the beginning. Get a debit card, too, if possible.
6. If you have a store-front, I recommend getting a merchant PayPal Account. Through PayPal, you can also apply for online credit, a debit card linked to your bank account, or online credit for use to purchase through PayPal. Though most people use PayPal for online transactions, you can also use it to send funds to another PayPal user, including a wholesaler or another merchant. To send money to another party, all you would have to do is get on Paypal.com and send money to their email address. I’ve done it before, it’s painless and instant.
7. Marketing:
- Check with your city office to see if you can hand out fliers or put them on windshields. If it’s just one time for a new business, they may say yes.
- Create business cards. You can get them FREE online through Vista Print. Try the car magnets, sometimes they’re free.
- Get FREE hats with logo on Vista Print. Sometimes you can get FREE t-shirts with logo, also.
- Contribute articles to the local paper or other local blogs and become an expert in your field. You’d be surprised at what you’re an expert at. If you can teach someone something they don’t know, you instantly become an expert to them.
8. Start a blog with WordPress or Blogger. I use both. Both sites are easy to use and offer a way to track visitors to your blogs. With Blogger, you can use Google Analytics to track visitors and link to your Amazon Affiliate account. Though Blogger allows you to link to Amazon, I still prefer WordPress because it’s unlimited tracking, and you don’t have to paste code anywhere to track visitors. It’s done for you. You can easily get more information about how people are finding your site and what words they’re using to search on search engines like Google. Plus, WordPress gives you a history of how many have visited your site.
9. Sign up on a few, or a lot, of affliliate programs to earn extra $$ while helping people with the content on your blog. You can use Commission Junction to find dozens of affiliate programs. They do have qualifiers, so you may not get accepted to all the affiliate programs you would like.
10. Buy a Domain Name. I’ve used GoDaddy and Doteasy. Even though GoDaddy is cheaper, I’ve stuck with Doteasy because I’ve read feedback where it’s easier to transfer out of Doteasy versus GoDaddy, in case you want to switch servers. By having a domain name, you can have a professional email address, like YourName@YourDomainName.com
11. Post your hours and fliers on your door, window, and somewhere inside where current customers can see it. The same goes whether you have an insurance office or repair shop.
These are few simple things to get your business on the right track!
Megatalk Call History
Megatalk offers Unlimited Talk Time: there is a promotion running where you can have unlimited talk time Nationwide, and the regular plan offers unlimited talk in the Home Area for about $11 less.
To get your call history, you have to get a subpoena and fax that. Call Customer Service to get the fax at 888-550-4497 or simply dial 611 from your iWireless cell phone. Other than that, the only call history you can find fairly easily is the one on your phone.
To get the call history from most phones, just hit the green call button, and scroll down.
Hope this helps!
Opera Mini for Blackberry
Opera Mini is an internet browser for cell phones and desktops that you can use other than Blackberry Service or Internet Explorer.
On I-Wireless Service, it seems to let you browse the internet with Megatalk pre-paid service, also. Very interesting…
To install direct from cell phone:
1. From your Blackberry, go to http://www.m.opera.com and download Opera Mini.
To install Opera Mini using your PC:
1. Make sure you have the Blackberry Desktop Software, if not, click here to download.
2. Next, click here to Download Opera Mini to desktop. Select Blackberry and the model, then download the zip file to your desktop.
3. Right click on files and “extract to desktop”. If you don’t have WinZip or WinRar, use the free trials: WinRar or WinZip.
4. Plug in your Blackberry to computer with USB cable and the Blackberry Desktop Manager should read that your phone is plugged in. Look for an icon, or it may open up on its own.
5. Click on Applications or Add Applications.
6. For Macs, on bottom left of screen, click on the small box with “+” sign on it. For PC’s, click on Browse or Search or Add. Select the unzipped files.
7. Install, then you’ll see a Red “O” icon in your menu.
Happy Internet Surfing!
Napster with Sony Walkman
Napster provides the backdrop for relaxation.
Used Napster’s free 2 week trial with my Sony Walkman NWZ-E344 mp3/video player. It gave me unlimited downloads which can also be used with I-tunes, Windows Media player, or even to burn a CD. I didn’t read the directions, though, so it took me about a half hour or so to get my Sony Walman setup with Napster. I thought the songs were downloading until I tried listening to them on the walkman. Don’t you hate those aha moments, when you realize why the directions tell you to do something first, and you didn’t?
I was impressed at the variety of music I was able to download. I instantly had background music to listen to while I sat in my comfy couch to read a book (“The Calling” by Jacob Israel if you’re curious). The music ranged from classical to today’s hits. I prefer classical, myself, when reading books. Of course, Napster is not biased, and you can choose whatever song to play while reading.
Actually, I didn’t know anything about Napster until I opened up the Sony Walkman that we got for Christmas. 
Happy listening!
Flixster App for Blackberry
I just tried the Flixster App for my Blackberry 8900. It was a fun tool. My family and I went out of town and I thought to myself, shoulda brought my laptop so I could watch a movie. I searched on Blackberry’s app store and got this based on a customer’s recommendation. Downloaded it on Edge and watched a few previews. Warning: it does buffer and you may not get the full effect the preview is meant to give. The previews have always buffered on EDGE, but on wi-fi, they streamed well. We don’t have 3G out here, nor on our trip, so you may have a better experience if you have 3G.Happy movie hunting!
Youtube on Alcatel Tribe
Alcatel Tribe
Youtube on the Alcatel Tribe 800a works with EDGE, but it does need to buffer at times and picture quality may not be great. Try resizing the video to a smaller size, it may help the buffering.
The Web2 part below is for I-Wireless service–you may have a different web profile name and settings if you have a different cellular provider.
Settings to get Youtube on your Alcatel Tribe 800a:
- Go to Menu
- Open Java
- Open Java Settings
- Set Java Network to Web2
- Click Ok
- Return to Main Menu
- Open Video Player
- Open Options
- Open Streaming URL
- Open Streaming Settings
- Open Profile 1
- Edit Profile
- Set Data Account for Web2
- Turn Off User Proxy
- Click done
- Click Save
- Click Yes, Activate Profile
- Go to Video Player > Options > Streaming URL
- Turn on the Stream Storage Setting (make sure you have a few MB or extra storage space on your phone)
- Return to Main Menu and Launch internet
- go to http://m.youtube.com
ENJOY!
Master Reset When All Else Fails
When all else fails, try the Master Reset button. I was trying to get the picture messaging to work on a Sony Ericsson W595a today so I called I-Wireless Customer Service who in turn decided they didn’t know what was wrong with the phone and gave up. I checked the settings, changed a few things and just about gave up when a bright idea hit me…reset the phone! It can’t get any worse, I thought. Voila! It worked. I guess something in the phone was simply not set correctly. Another happy customer.
WARNING: This phone will give you the option to reset the whole phone back to manufacturer settings, which WILL erase your pictures and downloads, or simply pick the other option– just reset settings that don’t affect your downloads and pics.
Youtube on Blackberry 8900
This worked for me:
*Open your browser
*In your menu go to Options and click
*Scroll down to General Options and click
*Scroll down to “Switching to WAP for streaming media” and UNclick this setting.
Try it out, go to http://m.youtube.com
This streamed Youtube on wifi really well.
Stream Video from Your Cell Phone
Qik allows you to share videos live from your Blackberry and iPhone. For WordPress bloggers, you can use this app to easily embed videos on your blog. You can also automatically upload your videos to Facebook and Twitter to share what your seeing with all your friends or business partners.
One of the top Qikkers listed is Demi Moore (mrskutcher). I thought it was awesome to be able to watch Demi’s unorchestrated live video while the director was filming on a movie set.
I was very excited to find this app and tried to use it on my lunch break, but alas, it requires WiFi or 3G. Oh, well. 3G is not yet available in my area, so my live recordings have to be more planned out. Hard to catch sporadic events with all this planning. Hmm…I can record live from the coffee shop, my house, and Pizza Hut in another town. Maybe next year if my wireless carrier decides or can afford to upgrade to 3G.
Click here to check the list on their site to see if your phone is supported by Quik.
Facebook Blackberry App
My Blackberry didn’t come with this already installed, so I downloaded the app from Facebook’s website direct to my Blackberry Curve. You only have to log in once and your main screen shows Status updates and News Feeds from all your friends. You can view photo albums, send private messages, find new friends, and add your photos direct from your Blackberry. Having Facebook on your phone is much easier than getting email updates every time someone makes a comment.
The only thing I haven’t been able to do is view the videos because I haven’t set up my phone for streaming video.
Happy Facebooking!
