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	<title>Jason Berkes&#039;s Blog &#187; small business</title>
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	<link>http://blog.jasonberkes.net</link>
	<description>Jason Berkes&#039;s Wordpress Weblog</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:41:08 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	
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		<title>What To Do With Complaints And Returns</title>
		<link>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/07/15/what-to-do-with-complaints-and-returns/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/07/15/what-to-do-with-complaints-and-returns/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:20:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Berkes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[online retail business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retail business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[selling retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/07/15/what-to-do-with-complaints-and-returns/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever gone to a store, paid money for one thing, and brought it home only to find that something’s wrong  with it. It sadly be a tiny bit too big a bit too small, it&#8217;s sits all askew on the floor, it could clash with the other colors in your house and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever gone to a store, paid money for one thing, and brought it home only to find that something’s wrong  with it. It sadly be a tiny bit too big a bit too small, it&#8217;s sits all askew on the floor, it could clash with the other colors in your house and so on. Those are a certain of the less difficult to cope with reasons, but every now and then a product get return because its defective. </p>
<p>One way that you can keep complaints to a lowest amount is by confirming that the products you sell are high quality. Read <a target="_blank" href="http://www.marksopinion.com/health-and-beauty/anti-acne-reviews/acne-no-more-review" class="broken_link">Acne No More Reviews</a> before you propose it to your clients. If, on one hand what you&#8217;re offering are memberships to say clubs and image databases, be sure that these offer what they promise the clients.  For example, give <a target="_blank" href="http://www.marksopinion.com/health-and-beauty/tattoo/chopper-tattoo-your-complete-tattoo-guide" class="broken_link">Chopper Tattoo</a>a visit before you suggest it to your clients. It ought to also be a thing you ought to consider when you marketing a product like a membership to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.marksopinion.com/health-and-beauty/tattoo/tattoo-fever-ultimate-tattoo-design-guide" class="broken_link">Tattoo Fever &#8211; The Ultimate Tattoo Guide</a>. </p>
<p>So, what ought to you do to handle returns? Have you already laid out a return policy? Before your clients purchased one thing, did you make sure that they be on familiar terms with about this policy. As an web based store, did you confirm that your clients be acquainted with that it is their duty to make sure that whatever they buy meets their specifications requirements.  If you said no to those last three questions then it&#8217;s high time that you do one thing about it.</p>
<p>If you don’t be on familiar terms with how to make provisions for the above, you can browse through other web pages that can provide you samples.Contact legal aide if you wish to do that.   You should confirm that the policies you come up with are strong enough to protect you, but they should also be awfully fair to your clients. It is also important to make sure that your suppliers are aware of of your return document. This supports to make return transactions, if any ever happen, go much faster. This is also why its essential that you should have a good  supplier relationship.</p>
<p>At any situation your policies and that of your suppliers do not fit, talk to them. This will help confirm that you protect the interest of you and your clients.</p>
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		<title>Questions Are Continuously A Part Of The Marketing Business</title>
		<link>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/07/07/questions-are-continuously-a-part-of-the-marketing-business/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/07/07/questions-are-continuously-a-part-of-the-marketing-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:36:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Berkes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[client questions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/07/07/questions-are-continuously-a-part-of-the-marketing-business/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a consumer, do you find yourself constantly asking manufacturers questions about some purchase you want to make.  You could be debating with regards to the quality of a piece of ceramic you are about to purchase.  It is also just normal to take some time to ponder over expensive purchases &#8211; say, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a consumer, do you find yourself constantly asking manufacturers questions about some purchase you want to make.  You could be debating with regards to the quality of a piece of ceramic you are about to purchase.  It is also just normal to take some time to ponder over expensive purchases &#8211; say, a new car or a house. It is also customary to deliberate about purchases already finished like a snow holiday at the peak heat of summer. It will always be in the nature of the consumer to ask, ask, and ask some more.</p>
<p>As the seller, you should be ready to be at the receiving end of the many questions from your consumers.You could be selling Breast Actives and your customers could be asking – <a target="_blank" href="http://naturalhealthcarereviews.com/womens-health/does-breast-actives-work">Does Breast Actives Work</a>? These kinds of questions are part of your life as a merchant.  The post of answering such questions should be of no problem to any excellent seller. Take the questions sincerely and answer them truthfully. Do this because each question can be representative of a buyer who can even inform other people about your business.  This can be the greatest type of advertising especially if what they have to say are good things about you. One of the best things about this manner of promotion is that it&#8217;s free.</p>
<p>If client queries are not your thing, perhaps they send you into fits of hysterics, lessen their incidence by making sure that your store or your online shelf is full of applicable info. Those who want to <a target="_blank" href="http://naturalhealthcarereviews.com/hair-loss/should-you-buy-procerin">purchase Procerin</a>, for example, would be more than thankful for information on Male Pattern Baldness. Providing some resources that converse how the product works is also beneficial for both you and your clients. Providing your consumers with a list of a product&#8217;s active ingredients is also a good thing. </p>
<p>If you choose to do so, you can also provide your consumers with good and trustworthy product reviews.  <a target="_blank" href="http://naturalhealthcarereviews.com/womens-health/revitol-cellulite-solution-reviews">Revitol Cellulite Solution critiques</a>, as for instance, can be done so that they provide loads of product info. Always bear in mind that not every review has to be glowing and positive. Great reviews are those that discuss both the positive and negative elements of a product.</p>
<p>A good thing about a review is that you aren&#8217;t even required to make them your own. You can, if it&#8217;s your wish to, pick out a review from a online site that is a reliable source. Just make sure to ask permission from sight owners before you try to clone anything.  Often you will also be asked to give reviewer the fitting credit and you may also be asked to link back.</p>
<p>Selling products that you are secure about is one of the best things you can do. This draws users to keep coming back for more. That is continually a good thing for any business.</p>
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		<title>Your Million Dollar Idea Will Rock With A Sound Business Plan Strategy</title>
		<link>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/06/07/your-million-dollar-idea-will-rock-with-a-sound-business-plan-strategy/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/06/07/your-million-dollar-idea-will-rock-with-a-sound-business-plan-strategy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:52:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Berkes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[business plan strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business strategic plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[million dollar idea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/06/07/your-million-dollar-idea-will-rock-with-a-sound-business-plan-strategy/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You wake up in the middle of the night with a million dollar idea.  Your mind is electric as you think about it during your shower and prep time for the day.  But, the idea soon fades as you perform your day to day tasks, and when you finally have time to spend on it, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You wake up in the middle of the night with a million dollar idea.  Your mind is electric as you think about it during your shower and prep time for the day.  But, the idea soon fades as you perform your day to day tasks, and when you finally have time to spend on it, you can’t remember why it was such a great idea.  Sound familiar?</p>
<p> A good business plan strategy will take care of that problem for you.  While a business plan strategy has many uses, one of the best is to get a million dollar idea down on paper before it vanishes. </p>
<p> First, you need to get down on paper the jist of your million dollar idea – right away.  You don’t need to find a specific notebook or sign onto your computer.  Just grab the nearest piece of paper and jot down the jist of it.  Do this step right away, the rest of your business plan strategy depends on it! </p>
<p> Now you can go about the rest of your day safe in the knowledge that your idea can’t be lost.  Just the action of writing it down will cement the million dollar idea in your mind and keep you thinking about how to make it happen. </p>
<p> Over the course of the next few days or weeks, confirm the following and commit them to paper about your million dollar idea:</p>
<p> 1.  What is the market for your million dollar idea, and will you be able to compete in it?  You don’t have to be the only person in the whole world who thought of it.  You just need to be a big enough fish in the pond to be able to compete. </p>
<p> 2.  Can your million dollar idea meet the needs of that market on an ongoing basis? </p>
<p> 3.  How will you deliver the million dollar idea to the market?  Meaning, in order to make it happen, what skills, resources, or team will you need? </p>
<p> And there you go.  By answering those three simple questions, you have taken your vague, undefined million dollar idea and created the base of a business plan strategy that will make it work<br /> .<br /> If you continue to be excited about the million dollar idea after creating your base business plan strategy, your next job will be to flesh out the basics you have created into a more dynamic action plan. </p>
<p> Turning your million dollar idea into more than a mere dream takes little more than focusing on a few easy questions which will help create a basic business plan strategy.  From there, you make your dream turn into a reality before you know it. </p>
<p> Be sure to visit <a target="_blank" href="http://smallbusinessaccountingbackroom.com/">SmallBusinessAccountingBackroom.com</a> to get many more resources to help your million dollar idea become a reality, including <a target="_blank" href="http://smallbusinessaccountingbackroom.com/">samples of business plan strategies</a> to take it to the next level.</p>
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		<title>Joint Venture Marketing Lets You Dream Big For Your Business</title>
		<link>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/03/31/joint-venture-marketing-lets-you-dream-big-for-your-business/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/03/31/joint-venture-marketing-lets-you-dream-big-for-your-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:54:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Berkes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joint venture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joint venture marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/03/31/joint-venture-marketing-lets-you-dream-big-for-your-business/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Because of the big price tag for most small business marketing budgets, the are often the first expense to be cut when times are tough .  But, without marketing, sales suffer, and the cycle continues.  One way to keep your dreams alive even when times are tough is to consider the possibilities of joint venture [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Because of the big price tag for most small business marketing budgets, the are often the first expense to be cut when times are tough .  But, without marketing, sales suffer, and the cycle continues.  One way to keep your dreams alive even when times are tough is to consider the possibilities of joint venture marketing. </p>
<p> A joint venture is a strategic alliance between two or more business people to contribute to a common commercial enterprise.  In English, this means that small business owners have the opportunity to contribute toward a goal that everyone will benefit from.  Many joint ventures are as simple as cross promoting each other&#8217;s products, but the concept works equally well on a complicated collaboration such as a consolidated weekend event. </p>
<p> Regardless of the complexity, joint ventures have benefits for everyone involved. First, is the ability to create more marketing power.  For example, while you may only be able to afford print advertising, by pooling resources you may be able to expand to radio or TV.  And every member of the joint venture has contacts and customers that can benefit the other members, expanding everyone’s sales force.</p>
<p> New business owners really benefit from choosing the right strategic business partners because they can establish their credibility very rapidly.  People perceive you to be like those folks you associate with, so if you are wise choosing your joint venture partners your reputation will grow rapidly.   And the added bonus is that by taking advantage of these successful business owner&#8217;s skills and knowledge, you will bypass many of the mistakes a new small business owner might make along the way. </p>
<p> But the biggest advantage of joint venture marketing is that you can keep your dreams alive through collaboration.  Nothing you want to do is out of your reach if you can find the right partners.  Even now, when times are tough, small businesses are growing and expanding every day through the use of joint venture marketing.  Yours can too with your commitment to finding the best joint venture partners for your goals. </p>
<p> Get more small business success strategies and claim your free white paper: &#8220;7 Ways Your Stone-Age Accounting System is Stealing Money From You Every Day &#8230; And, How to Get it Back This Year&#8221;  to learn about an <a target="_blank" href="http://www.webaccountingonline.com/">online accounting program</a> that makes it simple to track the success of your joint venture marketing.</p>
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		<title>2010 Is Your Year to Profit Again</title>
		<link>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/03/19/2010-is-your-year-to-profit-again/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/03/19/2010-is-your-year-to-profit-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:28:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Berkes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expense management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fixed costs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fixed expenses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[variable costs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/03/19/2010-is-your-year-to-profit-again/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Although the economy has been difficult over the past several months, there is much potential for entrepreneurial businesses as larger companies struggle to survive.  Small business owners must be ready for these potential increases in business, and having a good understanding of their fixed and variable expenses is a critical part of this. 
 Banks have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Although the economy has been difficult over the past several months, there is much potential for entrepreneurial businesses as larger companies struggle to survive.  Small business owners must be ready for these potential increases in business, and having a good understanding of their fixed and variable expenses is a critical part of this. </p>
<p> Banks have increase many small business’ debt service expense by amortizing out previously revolving lines of credit.  And it is only possible to cut some expenses, like marketing and staffing so far without seeing a negative impact on sales.  Because of these challenges, the small business owner should always be on the lookout for creative ways to keep their other expenses low. </p>
<p> Pool Resources Where You Can</p>
<p> Many business owners are working with non-competitive business associates in a collaborative method in order to cut expenses.  For example, they may choose to share rental space with one another rather than be strangled by expensive lease obligations. </p>
<p> Another option would be to join forces with a related business associate to send out a joint advertising campaign rather than pay for the entire thing yourself. </p>
<p> Strategically combining resources is a great way to immediately improve what could otherwise be costly fixed expenses, an almost instant improvement to the small business owner’s bottom line.  And who knows, this collaborative strategy may result in added referrals you might not have received otherwise. </p>
<p> Replace Expensive Staff Overhead Where You Can</p>
<p> Many small businesses are opting away from traditional sales force and production staff and choosing to use non-traditional strategies for meeting their staffing needs.  Is it possible to outsource, or to use contract or part time labor so that you are only paying for work that actually needs to be done?  By creating variable rather than fixed expenses, you would be able to substantially reduce overhead and cause an immediate improvement to your bottom line. </p>
<p> Although sales staff is often considered indispensible to the success of a business, there are some innovative ways to reduce this expense as well.  What do you think about using your customers and business connections as your sales staff by offering finder’s fees that will be paid at any time a lead becomes a sale?  This technique allows you to only pay out when you actually get a sale.  Not bad! </p>
<p> Rebid Necessary Expenses</p>
<p> Unfortunately, there aren’t creative ways to cut or avoid all expenses, especially things like bankcard processing, telephone, and insurance.  But, as the economy becomes more competitive, so do many of these businesses, and it is important to be always on the lookout for the best deal.  Get new bids on these expenses frequently and your total expenses will decrease.  Even previously challenging expense categories, such as contract labor can now be renegotiated, because layoffs and dull economic conditions are creating a pool of more capable resources to choose from. </p>
<p> If you are able to adjust and change quickly, you could be very successful in your small business this year.  Studying your expenses and adjusting where it is possible is a terrific way to further improve that success. </p>
<p> To get more small business success strategies, and to claim your free white paper:  “7 Ways Your Stone-Age Accounting System is Stealing Money From You Every Day &#8230; And, How to Get it Back This Year&#8221;   visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.webaccountingonline.com/">www.WebAccountingOnline.com</a>.</p>
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		<title>What to look for in small business payroll software</title>
		<link>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/02/08/what-to-look-for-in-small-business-payroll-software/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/02/08/what-to-look-for-in-small-business-payroll-software/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:42:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Berkes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payroll software]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business payroll]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2010/02/08/what-to-look-for-in-small-business-payroll-software/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[From small business payroll computer programs. Most small businesses don&#8217;t necessarily require a whole software package just to do payroll. Unless you actually enjoy spending hours upon hours doing boring calculations that seem to go on forever, that is. Furthermore, because of federal and state government requirements and employees needs, these calculations must be precise.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>From <a target="_blank" href="http://www.payroll-software-program.com/Small-Business-Payroll-Software.html">small business payroll computer programs</a>. Most small businesses don&#8217;t necessarily require a whole software package just to do payroll. Unless you actually enjoy spending hours upon hours doing boring calculations that seem to go on forever, that is. Furthermore, because of federal and state government requirements and employees needs, these calculations must be precise.  </p>
<p> So what can you do to make life simpler?  Finding and incorporating the appropriate payroll application can help streamline payroll, and  </p>
<p> Most small business payroll software packages are easy to use. Using this software will decrease the amount of time you currently waste on activities pertaining to payroll, and will save you money too. A payroll system can be purchased and installed at an affordable rate, and you won&#8217;t need to hire a bookkeeper or use a payroll service.   Most such software is not very obscure, and you can easily learn your way around it. </p>
<p> And these small business payroll software also offer other benefits when compared to outsourcing your payroll to a payroll service. You never have to worry about your data getting into the wrong hands. Sending your payroll out over the internet or giving your data to a payroll firm means trusting those companies with sensitive data in order for them to complete their service for your business. The software, on the other hand, is a one time buy, downloaded to your computer, so that you can set up your own payroll database.  You don&#8217;t have to worry about your data being compromised by an outside source.</p>
<p> You simply have to determine what payroll features you are looking for, then search out the computerized payroll program that encompasses everything you want at a price you can afford. Alternatively, you can choose to buy a full-featured payroll package that can do all your payroll tasks.  Some software companies will even bundle their account and payroll software packages together at a discounted rate.</p>
<p> A good payroll software package will automatically calculate how much your employees are earning, how much taxes need to be deducted, etcetera. Some packages will also give you the option of making custom payroll designations that will give you another aspect of control over how your payroll works.</p>
<p> Depending on what your needs are you might want to choose a program that allows you to print your own payroll checks and pay stubs at the click of a button.  Some software will even grant you the ability to generate, print, retain, and send email tax forms or employment documents such as 941, 940, W2 and more.</p>
<p> When buying a small business software package, make sure the company has a reputation for providing good after sale technical support.  Since tax laws change constantly, it would be wise to buy upgradeable software. A location to receive tax updates is also essential.  </p>
<p> A computerized payroll program will enhance your small business, and can assist you greatly as your company gets larger. Explore your options, determine your needs, access demos, read user opinions, and make a good selection.</p>
<p>For more please see <a target="_blank" href="http://www.payroll-software-program.com/certified-payroll-software.html">Certified Payroll Software: What You Need To Know Before You Buy</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.payroll-software-program.com/online-payroll-software.html">http://www.payroll-software-program.com/online-payroll-software.html</a>.</p>
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