The World Business

Archive for April, 2011

Podcasts can be an effective marketing tool if done right. This article looks at some of the issues that you will confront if you are considering using them as a part of your online marketing strategy. It is necessary you understand search engine optimisation (SEO) so that your Podcast is found.

Podcasts seem to be available everywhere, but it is important to make sure it is the right thing for you to do in relation to your business. You will probably have to put a considerable effort into making good and regular Podcasts if you start. Online marketing is not something you can do once and forget about. Here is a look at Podcasts and ways you can improve the effectiveness of this approach.
• What Are They? Podcasts are not very difficult to understand. They are essentially an audio file that is released on a regular basis. The aim is to have as many subscribers as possible, who will listen to your Podcast as it is released. Itunes is essentially the hub for Podcasts on the internet, although they are not limited to this. You may want to post your audio shows to your blog and other locations on your site, to ensure you get more exposure as you get started.
• Timing.It is important, as with any other marketing, to make sure you do your Podcast regularly. People are creatures of habit. Retaining your subscribers will require regular and interesting content. It might be a good idea to have some back-up Podcasts prepared, just in case you cannot come up with something interesting for this week.
• Equipment and More.While content is still king, it is important your audio quality is good. It is worth investing in a microphone that will give you good quality of sound. There are also small and simple audio applications that can clean up your recording. If something is easier to listen to, there are more chances of people listening to it. There are simple enough audio editing programs available that allow you to edit your recording. You can cut out those awkward pauses and mistakes. This will mean if you make a fumble, you can repeat your sentence and continue. Edit out the damage later.
• Get Practice. You might want to start listening to some other Podcasts, and see if you can emulate some of the styles you hear. There are some truly boring speakers out there. Make sure you are not one of them.
• Think About Your Listeners. As with all marketing, our audience is always the most important factor. You should think about the timing of your Podcast in relation to your subscribers. Do you want a jazzy feel in the morning, or a sedate and calming approach for an evening listen?
• Apply the Same Rules as Your Blog. Nobody wants to listen to your sales talk or PR. Just as you do with your blog, you should be offering interesting and informative content. The advantage of using Podcasts is that users can listen to what you are saying as they do other work. If it is beneficial, they certainly will.
• Make it Easy To Find. You are going to apply the same rules of SEO as you have done with the rest of your site and blog content. Make sure there is ample information associated with your Podcast on you and your business. Make sure internet users can find it. Speak to search engine optimisation specialists if you need help in this area. There is nothing worse than producing something, and you have no traffic.

If you are in small business, you are looking to avoid as much tax as possible. Avoiding tax can soon turn into tax evasion. Whether or not tax accountants will recommend these controversial tips, is another matter. If you are considering tax evasion, you need to do a little homework.

Even if you have great tax accountants, they might not tell you explicitly what is written in this article. If you are running your own small business, there are concrete ways to avoid paying tax. This does not mean they are legal, and so you should take care in what you do. These are tools and techniques that you can use if you are tired of paying too much tax. This article does not actively promote these ideas as they may be illegal in your country. Make your own decisions after being informed.

• Cash. What do we do with cash? We put it in our wallet. Earning income directly through a cash means is obviously illegal. It is also hard to get caught at. If you have clients who are not interested in getting a receipt, working to earn cash is an excellent option. Obviously, you cannot do this for everything you do, unless you have a means to explain why you have that money. You may come under suspicion for having too much money in your bank account when you have no stated earnings. Make sure you take a few trips to a local Casino so you can explain how you got all that money if ever asked. There are no records of who won or not. This is why having casinos in any country indirectly facilitates crime and corruption. If it is possible not to supply your bank with your tax number or social security number in your country, don’t it where you can.
• Deductions. Deductions are allowable on all the costs of you doing your business. You must make sure you take advantage of these and more. Use as much of your living expenses and claim them as legitimate tax deductions of doing your job and business. Be inventive about the way you claim your deductions and look for reasonable reasons why you made those purchases in relation to your work. There are many receipts that can be used for both personal and professional expenses. Exploit this as much as possible.
• Don’t Employ People. Employing others in your small business can be very costly. Not in just the amount of tax, sick pay and leave you will have to pay, doing all those calculations costs a lot of money. Managing your business and getting into the business of employing people is a legal minefield. You will need to understand many laws such as Occupational Health and Safety requirements. Avoid all this by using services of companies instead of employees. If you are using someone regularly, make sure you have a supplier contract. In some cases, this will mean you cannot use them constantly for more than an extended period. You might have to have a week break in your relationship every 12 weeks, for example, as is the case in Australia.
• Keep Money Overseas. Earning money overseas should be kept overseas. Make sure you know the relationship of the country and your country before you do this. For example, Hong Kong and Australia have tax information exchange relationships. Therefore, if you are an Australian earning money from overseas, it is not a good idea to keep it in Hong Kong. Receive and keep your money in a country that does not have these types of relationships, for example, somewhere in South America.

Not all, if many accountants, will recommend these practices. Do your own research, avoid as much tax as possible, and don’t get caught.

It sucks, but sometimes it happens. You had a great business idea, but it didn’t take off theground. To stop losing money, you need to proceed to a voluntary liquidation. But doing soinvolves a series of steps which you must know about before you call the liquidationcompany. Here’s some help.
First, you should hire a specialist who will help you through the different steps. They will takecare of the paperwork while you concentrate on saving as much as you can from yourbusiness. But remember that now that you’ve chosen to go into voluntary liquidation, youcannot go back. Once it is done, it is done, so make sure that you weighed all your optionsbefore going that route. Again, the specialist will help you determine whether liquidation isthe best choice for your business at this time.
If you do decide to liquidate, remember that your first responsibility is towards your creditors.You owe them money, and the reason for liquidation is to reimburse as much as you can. Ifyou have a limited liability company, then you will have to pay anything out of your personalpocket; otherwise, be prepared to have this impact your personal life as well.
Have your assets evaluated by a specialist as well. You want a good price, enough to paycreditors. Doing it yourself might seem suspicious, so do hire someone to help. They willalso help you sell your assets legally and properly. When the money starts coming in, DONOT PAY any creditors back yourself. It will look like preferential treatment, and you want toavoid that at all costs. Also, do not reimburse the bank for any overdraft; it is illegal. Havethe liquidation specialist take care of these steps for you. All creditors should be paid equallyup to the amount of your debt, and the bank should be taken care of separately.
Avoid doing any trading that might incur further debt in the last days before the liquidation. Ifyou do so, you might be committing fraud. You can trade under strict rules, which basicallymeans that you can only pursue business if it doesn’t incur further debt. But this can be hardto do, so discuss with your specialist and your accountant.
I know it’s never fun to go through a liquidation. After it’s done, you should look at therecords and see what went wrong. Did you not sell enough of your product? Did youpurchase too much primary material and couldn’t sell the finished product fast enough? Didyou buy equipment that was too expensive? You should make an inventory of what wentwell and what didn’t go so well–maybe you had too many employees for the size of yourbusiness? Pair up with a skilled accountant and business analyst to assess the situation.Maybe next time, your business will actually work!