In Florida, the area around Kennedy Space Center, roughly from Titusville to Melbourne is known as the space coast.
It is from here that every US manned spaceflight was launched.
There's a lot of history in this area and a lot of space related tourism.
It's also the home of the Ron Jon flagship store in Cocoa Beach where you can find pretty much anything you can think of for enjoying the beach.
People drive or fly from all over to see this iconic store and enjoy the Atlantic beach.
If you have a business in this area, you know the importance of attracting both the Beach / Surf crowd and the space / NASA crowd.
This is the perfect environment for outdoor advertising. Giant balloons catch the eye of tourists as they drive by. LED Signs tell them what you have to offer and Giant Helium balloons catch their attention like searchlights in the daytime. (By the way, you can rent searchlights for after dark too)
My client, Giant Balloon Rental, offers a full selection of outdoor advertising products for the Space Coast and all of Florida.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
What's different in a Successful Business
What determines if a business succeeds or fails? Is it a matter of luck, timing, the economy? Cynde Alloway, my client who is a business consultant / business coach, says its much more than that. She says that even in tough economic times, companies can thrive if they stick to a few basics.
Among those basics are
Written Goals
Without written goals, you may lose track of where you are going and what you need to do to get there. Carefully consider your hopes and expectations for your business and write them down.
Low Debt
Debt is expensive. Whenever possible, run your business debt free and even keep an emergency reserve fund available.
Change
Everything changes. Instead of resisting change, embrace it and look for the opportunity hidden within it.
See more Elements of a Successful Business on Cynde's website.
If you see your competition struggling and even failing, don't lose heart. Keep doing what you know is right and welcome their abandoned clients. Treat them right and succeed despite what looks like tough times.
Among those basics are
Written Goals
Without written goals, you may lose track of where you are going and what you need to do to get there. Carefully consider your hopes and expectations for your business and write them down.
Low Debt
Debt is expensive. Whenever possible, run your business debt free and even keep an emergency reserve fund available.
Change
Everything changes. Instead of resisting change, embrace it and look for the opportunity hidden within it.
See more Elements of a Successful Business on Cynde's website.
If you see your competition struggling and even failing, don't lose heart. Keep doing what you know is right and welcome their abandoned clients. Treat them right and succeed despite what looks like tough times.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Mid Florida Tree Service
I've recently begun doing some work for Mid Florida Tree Service. I worked with them previously when I was with JH Studios and so when JH and Mid Florida Tree service needed a coder, I was the first choice.
My first order of business was to make the site mobile friendly. It passes Google's test, but I still have a few tweaks before I'll be happy with the final result.
Who is Mid Florida Tree Service?
Mid Florida Tree Service was started in 1976 by Byron Lee Jones. Starting with a pickup, a handsaw and three employees, including his 16 year old son, he began to seek jobs in the Tampa area. Never taking a customer for granted, Byron's honesty and fairness won him many repeat customers. He believed in treating each customer like they were the only customer.
In 2000, Byron retired and passed the business on to his son, Tim. (The one that was 16 and working with him in 1976)
Learn more about Byron, Tim and the entire team at http://www.midfloridatreeservice.com/?trees_fl=central_florida_tree_service
My first order of business was to make the site mobile friendly. It passes Google's test, but I still have a few tweaks before I'll be happy with the final result.
Who is Mid Florida Tree Service?
Mid Florida Tree Service was started in 1976 by Byron Lee Jones. Starting with a pickup, a handsaw and three employees, including his 16 year old son, he began to seek jobs in the Tampa area. Never taking a customer for granted, Byron's honesty and fairness won him many repeat customers. He believed in treating each customer like they were the only customer.
In 2000, Byron retired and passed the business on to his son, Tim. (The one that was 16 and working with him in 1976)
Learn more about Byron, Tim and the entire team at http://www.midfloridatreeservice.com/?trees_fl=central_florida_tree_service
Monday, July 20, 2015
Character Balloons
So, this month we've dealt with IRS audits and getting help with your accounting software. None of that really matters if you don't have any customers.
How do you get customers? MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING!
You've no doubt seen character balloons at businesses throughout your city. Whether that's Jacksonville, St. Augustine, the Palm Coast, maybe Cocoa Beach, Melbourne or Vero Beach.
You can say so much with a character. A picture is worth a thousand words. A giant balloon says so much more. With the Uncle Sam, Flag and Eagle balloons, you can declare your patriotism for Independence day, Veteran's day and Memorial Day. Santa and a Toy Soldier can be combined with a Christmas tree from the specialty balloon line to advertise your Christmas sales or your "Christmas in July" sales.
You may even find a licensed balloon such as SpongeBob to fit your event.
Monkeys and Gorilllas are also popular.
Be sure that outdoor advertising is part of your overall marketing strategy and consider character balloons as part of that strategy,
How do you get customers? MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING!
You've no doubt seen character balloons at businesses throughout your city. Whether that's Jacksonville, St. Augustine, the Palm Coast, maybe Cocoa Beach, Melbourne or Vero Beach.
You can say so much with a character. A picture is worth a thousand words. A giant balloon says so much more. With the Uncle Sam, Flag and Eagle balloons, you can declare your patriotism for Independence day, Veteran's day and Memorial Day. Santa and a Toy Soldier can be combined with a Christmas tree from the specialty balloon line to advertise your Christmas sales or your "Christmas in July" sales.
You may even find a licensed balloon such as SpongeBob to fit your event.
Monkeys and Gorilllas are also popular.
Be sure that outdoor advertising is part of your overall marketing strategy and consider character balloons as part of that strategy,
What does a QuickBooks ProAdvisor do?
What Does a QuickBooks ProAdvisor Actually Do?
You may have heard of a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, but what does that mean?
QuickBooks, like many powerful pieces of software, is complex and can be configured many different ways depending on the circumstances of the user. Intuit, the company that publishes QuickBooks, offers training and certification so that you know that the person you are hiring knows what they are doing.
I wrote more about this on a Business Consultant website. This is just a taste of what I wrote there.
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor helps a business owner fully benefit from QuickBooks and make the best use of its features.
They make this happen in several ways. The first thing to do is decide what version of the software is best for your business and your circumstances. Next they'll set up QuickBooks to be sure it's done properly. If it's already set up they'll review and correct that setup for you. Whatever unique situations your business faces will be accounted for by the QuickBooks ProAdvisor when your installation is customized. After that, they will set up User Roles that give employees just enough access to perform their duties while keeping your sensitive details protected. To go along with that, your ProAdvisor will train your employees so that they know what their role is able to do, and how to do it efficiently.
Finishing up, they will prepare reports that show you the financial progress of your business and teach you what you need to know to make the most out of QuickBooks to the benefit of your business.
You may have heard of a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, but what does that mean?
QuickBooks, like many powerful pieces of software, is complex and can be configured many different ways depending on the circumstances of the user. Intuit, the company that publishes QuickBooks, offers training and certification so that you know that the person you are hiring knows what they are doing.
I wrote more about this on a Business Consultant website. This is just a taste of what I wrote there.
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor helps a business owner fully benefit from QuickBooks and make the best use of its features.
They make this happen in several ways. The first thing to do is decide what version of the software is best for your business and your circumstances. Next they'll set up QuickBooks to be sure it's done properly. If it's already set up they'll review and correct that setup for you. Whatever unique situations your business faces will be accounted for by the QuickBooks ProAdvisor when your installation is customized. After that, they will set up User Roles that give employees just enough access to perform their duties while keeping your sensitive details protected. To go along with that, your ProAdvisor will train your employees so that they know what their role is able to do, and how to do it efficiently.
Finishing up, they will prepare reports that show you the financial progress of your business and teach you what you need to know to make the most out of QuickBooks to the benefit of your business.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
IRS Audit!
No, I didn't get audited, but I understand that a lot of business owners, or even regular employees, have a strong fear of the IRS. Sure, if you cheat or don't keep good records, you can end up in a legal mess. So, be honest and be sure you keep all your records. If you don't have a record of a deduction, don't use it. On the other hand, as long as you do have records, then feel free to take deductions. Don't let fear of an audit keep you from taking them. If you get income outside your job or business, report it. The IRS will already know about it because the person that paid you will have reported it. Don't try to be sneaky. You'll just end up regretting it later.
If you hire a CPA to file your taxes, he or she will make sure everything is properly documented. Then, if you're audited, you contact your CPA and let them handle the whole process. Even if it's just a correspondence audit, where they send you a letter asking for explanation, check with your CPA before you reply. Your CPA will have the skills and experience to handle the situation to your advantage.
If you need a CPA and you're in the Tampa or Brandon Florida area, contact Tanya Higginbotham Certified Public Accountant of Accountability Team, LLC.
Your CPA will make sure you get all your documents back when tax filing is done. Make sure you store them safely. If doing so electronically, be sure to keep backups. An audit is a rare thing and shouldn't put you into a panic, but don't take it too lightly. Let your skilled, experienced CPA guide you through the process and even represent you before the IRS.
If you hire a CPA to file your taxes, he or she will make sure everything is properly documented. Then, if you're audited, you contact your CPA and let them handle the whole process. Even if it's just a correspondence audit, where they send you a letter asking for explanation, check with your CPA before you reply. Your CPA will have the skills and experience to handle the situation to your advantage.
If you need a CPA and you're in the Tampa or Brandon Florida area, contact Tanya Higginbotham Certified Public Accountant of Accountability Team, LLC.
Your CPA will make sure you get all your documents back when tax filing is done. Make sure you store them safely. If doing so electronically, be sure to keep backups. An audit is a rare thing and shouldn't put you into a panic, but don't take it too lightly. Let your skilled, experienced CPA guide you through the process and even represent you before the IRS.
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