Author: Reginald Chan

Sales and Use Tax Bond: What You Need to Know
Taxes are something that the average person hates. It’s a way of helping put money back into the government, but most people see it as a means of losing their hard-earned income on the promise of a return, which isn’t much in the way of a prize. If you talk to business owners, however, taxes become even more of a tedious aspect of being an entrepreneur because of the staggering amount of rules and regulations that are much less commonplace than it is for the average person.

They’re a part of being a business owner, but there is quite a lot to know about business tax and law. One aspect that is not usually at the forefront of the minds of people in sales and uses tax bonds, which is a unique part of being a business owner. This is especially important for businesses operating in retail, leases, or rentals, and it’s imperative that someone in business knows this. Here is what you need to know about sales and use tax bonds.

What are Sales and Use Tax Bonds?

As mentioned, a business that is operating in retail (selling products), leasing property or products, or renting property and products, is often required to ensure that a business will pay taxes on the revenue they make from these sales/leases/rentals. This bond is useful in helping ensure that the business is reliable in paying the taxes on time, and you can find more info on how it relates to the role of proving that they are responsible and credible in the act of doing so. Sales and use tax bonds are intended to help assure the state taxes will be paid and collected in the proper amount of time.

Types of Sales and Use Tax Bonds

Sales and use tax bonds come in many different types but are all related to the taxation of products and goods sold. Here are some of the most common types you will find for a business:
- Motor Fuel
- Customs
- Fireworks
- Tobacco Products and Cigarettes
- Alcohol, Liquor, or Beer
These are commonly taxed products sold every day that need to be made tax by the business, and thus, pay the taxes to the government. The bond acts as the license to collect these taxes, but sometimes they are not needed and can be posted with a general sales tax bond. It’s important to understand the role of your business and its sales.

Why is it Important?

The government needs to be sure that a business can financially sustain itself beyond revenue and be able to pay back taxes in an orderly fashion. Covering the cost of filing for bankruptcy is not in the interest of the state or federal government as it costs them billions every year. It’s also very important that many of these products sold are taxed regularly because of the high volume that they are purchased in.

Does Every State Have the Same Rules?

No, the short and simple answer is that not every state has the same rules regarding sales and use tax bonds. It would be common to find a bond required for the sale of liquor in many states, like Texas, but in some states, this is not a requirement. It’s also important to note that many states may require a different kind of product tax issue instead of a sales and use bond. Posting the general product sales tax is enough in some places, while in others there is no requirement at all.

How Much Do These Bonds Cost?

Another good question to ask is how much the bonds cost, which is also a variable answer depending on the state. In Missouri, the bond must be equal to double the monthly average on sales and taxes. In other places, like New Hampshire, there are no state taxes at all which means there is no requirement to pay either, even though a permit for sales tax still must be acquired. The varying cost also has to do with acquiring the bond as well. The bonds are issued, usually by surety companies, which deal with agencies that help spread your application to as many companies as possible to help you get approved. Often, there is also a payment of a premium, which is a percentage of the total bond amount.

Sales and use tax bonds are not the most common knowledge for the average person and many business owners, but it may be a crucial step in opening up a legitimate business. It also helps ensure the government’s trust in the ability to pay back taxes in a proper manner, as well as a sign of faith in a business’s financial credibility.
January 25, 2021
How Direct Mail Brochures Can Help Grow Your Business Easily?
Many people think that the use of direct mail in business is a thing of the past, but surprisingly, it still works. According to research, companies that send direct mail to the customers reap a lot of benefits that cannot be achieved using digital methods like email and social media. With focused targeting, direct mail produces a better response rate compared to email. There are different forms of postal options for growing your business that you can consider. Read on to learn how direct mail brochures can help grow your business easily.

Why a brochure?

A brochure is a marketing tool that you can use to advertise a product or service. It comes in the form of a flyer or pamphlet, and it provides information about different products and services. Many businesses use brochures to introduce new services and products to existing customers or potential buyers. You can hand brochures in person or mail them to specific people with interests in your business. Direct mail helps create a one-on-one connection with your target customers that may be difficult to do with other media channels.

Target Your Customers

The primary advantage of direct mailing using brochures is that you communicate directly with the customers. All brochures are addressed to the intended recipient, and this means that you build a strong customer database. You can also specify a particular area to target so that you do not waste resources on people who may not make a difference to your business. In most cases, businesses consider several demographic factors like age, income, and others before they target consumers.

Design the Right Brochure

If you want your direct mail marketing campaign to succeed, you must carefully design your brochures in such a way that they leave a lasting impression. To make your life easy, you can enlist the services of a professional design and printing company to help you design eye-catching brochures. Expert designers at Cactus Mailing explain that the strategy of direct mail brochures is budget-friendly and is based on proven results if you carefully implement it. It is possible to generate more business with a postcard campaign provided you design the promotional material well.

To achieve your goal using this strategy, you must consider the following steps.
- Identify your target audience
- Choose the appropriate format for the brochure
- How do you want to distribute the brochure?
- Determine the information you want to be included. For instance, you can include your company’s mission statement, logo, photos, charts, and graphs.
- Choose content layout or format
The purpose of the brochure should help you determine the information that you should include in your brochure.

Draw the Customers’ Attention

Brochures help you to grab the attention of the target audience. Although digital mail has become so widespread, many people still enjoy checking mail. Therefore, you must carefully design the brochure such that it appeals to the interests of the customer. It is essential to customize your brochure so that they fulfill your business interests while at the same time aiming to satisfy the needs of the customers. The other benefit of using brochures is that the recipients are likely to invite their friends to your business if they are happy about your offer.

Direct Mail Marketing is Memorable

Another advantage of direct marketing is that it is memorable. Receiving physical mail is something that is long forgotten by other people, so this action alone brings nostalgic feelings. This can trigger an emotional response that will result in more sales. It is vital to write the customer’s name on the brochure to appeal to their emotions. You should make sure that whatever you include on the postcard calls the customer to action.

Track Results

The direct mail campaign helps to drive customers to your business to buy different products on promotion. You can easily track results by monitoring the response rate of the consumers. If you experience a surge in the number of customers who visit your business, it means that your campaign is effective. However, you should not forget to schedule a follow up with your customers.

While some people may think that direct mail is a thing of the past, it still works in this digital age. For instance, direct mail brochures can help grow your business by connecting you with your customers. This strategy is focused, and it calls the recipient to action which cannot be possible with other forms of media channels. Brochures draw the customers’ attention, and they are memorable, and this is good for your business.
January 24, 2021
Advantages of Social Media Marketing

Social media has taken a substantial chunk of an individual’s time, you don’t notice it but for whatever reason, you’re subconsciously drawn to opening your favorite platform and browsing through it. One of the key elements for its success is its accessibility, you can open any number of platforms from any device with an internet connection. Marketing which explores human behavior has long recognized that with the millions of real-life people behind avatars and silly usernames, you have found yourself a massive opportunity for your business.

What is Social Media Marketing (SMM)?

This type of marketing is centered on utilizing the accessibility and visibility provided by social media platforms to market a product, services, or brand. But how is it different from other types of marketing? Well, in SMM you’re going to create content tailored to match the specific interests of different audiences to drive engagements and promote your product or brand. The experts from kinetiksconsulting.com recognize that a more engaged audience will manifest through organic responses within the platforms in shares, comments, and whatnot. Ultimately, your success will depend on how you keep your audience happy and engaged, regardless of what type of content you use.

But why are businesses capitalizing on social media to boost their online presence and their brand as a whole? Well here are some of the advantages of incorporating SMM into your overall strategy:

Builds A Connection To New Audience

Social Media provides an opportunity for businesses to reach new audiences that you determined to be predisposed to be interested in what you’re offering. You’ll be able to utilize tools and tactics that can easily attract new audiences and promote brand awareness. Top platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow you to create contents that warm up to your target audience and solicit engagement or response from them. It can be challenging to stand out from a crowd of similar businesses but with engaging content, you’ll be able to cut through the noise and get yourself noticed. One example is you can post a fun and informative video ad that catches a person’s attention to introduce yourself and your brand.

As mentioned social media helps you reach a target audience to drive better engagement and conversion. In these platforms, you’ll be able to find them based on their interests and what they’re frequently talking about as well as the data in their profiles. This tremendous advantage helps brands in a niche market to simplify and focus their efforts on those audiences or users to maximize results. You’ll be able to spread information or engage in a conversation where you’ll come out as a favorable solution to problems or needs they may have.

Direct Access

SMM allows you to capitalize on the inherent capability of social media platforms to directly connect to your target market, lead, and customers virtually anytime and anywhere. Some of them even allow you to tap into your contacts so that you can connect with them easily. This is a great way to provide updates and information to your customers about your campaign, promotions, new products, offers, and many more. And because it is free, you’ll be able to do this without having to shell out to set up an infrastructure for instant messaging with your customers.

Lower Cost

Noting that many of the features in social media are free, this translates to a more affordable and efficient method of advertising. Compared to printing flyers and spending a lot of time posting them in a limited area, a single post on social media allows you to reach audiences from different parts of the globe. Facebook has over 2 billion active users while YouTube gets over a billion hours of views daily. It doesn’t only get a wider audience than any billboard can hope for, they are also free. This advantage in marketing virtually levels the playing field for small businesses and startups to compete against established giant corporations. So yes lower cost does put social media marketing over traditional methods.

Relationship Capital

For the first time in recent years, businesses are able to use social media to build a relationship with their customers. It is a widely accepted fact that people tend to go for brands they trust despite some disadvantages like price. With social media, businesses are able to connect with their potential customers by providing them with information that would help them in their problems. One example is if a person posts something on Facebook Group or Community about how to improve or design their outdoor garden, related businesses can easily swoop down and give valuable insight into gardening. The response will not only gain the trust of the person that that business responded to but also gains favor from those who read your comment. This is an essential element in marketing and with social media, you don’t need to personally talk to that person to gain their valuable trust and favor.

Lead Generation and Conversion

By using paid ads and organic content, you will be able to generate leads and boost conversions from within the platform. One effective approach is to have a raffle and posting it on Facebook or Instagram, this way you’ll be able to gather followers and or get email addresses that you can use in your sales funnel. Because everything runs on data, it’s easier to manage your database of potential customers and build a strategy around it to get more conversions.

Study Your Competitors

Social media gives you the visibility to study your competitor’s methods and strategy. You’ll get a lot of ideas by exploring different fields and taking on great ideas and using them effectively for your purposes. You’ll also be able to see what your competitors are posting as ads and see how well their customers responded to it. It’s not advisable to just copy everything they do, that’s counterproductive, you’ll have to add some unique elements to make yourself stand out.

Social media gives you the visibility to study your competitor’s methods and strategy. You’ll get a lot of ideas by exploring different fields and taking on great ideas and using them effectively for your purposes. You’ll also be able to see what your competitors are posting as ads and see how well their customers responded to it. It’s not advisable to just copy everything they do, that’s counterproductive, you’ll have to add some unique elements to make yourself stand out. But it is important to keep tabs on your competitors’ activities and advertising strategies to maximize your efforts in finding the things that work well in your niche.

Social media has become a part of our daily lives and although there are a lot of people who shun it, it’s highly improbable that we’ll see a decline in people’s interest in it. Businesses who are able to recognize and capitalize on an opportunity to connect to their customers will have the greater advantage of establishing themselves as a trusted solution to today’s modern problems and consumption needs.

January 22, 2021
Benefits of Using Online Video Maker for Your Video Marketing

Did you know that video is one of the most effective content creating methods that you can adopt for your business? The beauty of video is that it’s always in motion, and it can quickly spark curiosity amongst viewers. That’s not all. Videos are quite engaging and have a higher recall impact on the target market. While it might be relatively expensive to hire an expert video marketing campaigner, you need not lose hope. Are you aware that using an online video marker such as wave video is the most extraordinary step to take? Below is why you can adopt using an on-net video maker.

Get unique formats whole crafting your videos

At times a business owner often has beautifully thought out ideas that could revolutionize their business. At times, someone else might fail to share the same vision and bring out a video that’s not up to standards. However, using an on-net video marker, you can execute your ideas with ease and get unique formats. It’s a chance to ensure that you virtually eliminate any dilemma such as misinterpretation, among others.

Maximize your profits

While starting a business venture, it might prove to be rather tricky to maximize profits. Nonetheless, you can adopt effective advertising methods to reach out to potential clients and boost your ROI. One can use online video-makers to eliminate the need to hire an expert. With great dedication, precision, and patience, you can soon realize your profits mightily.

Focus on quality content

To stand out amongst other competitors, an individual should focus on providing top-notch content instead of production. By embracing video marketing, it can prove beneficial in your business even while working on a budget. The beauty of using on-net video makers is that you’ll have ample time to learn and relearn. That’s not all; you also get to have in-depth exposure to the world of video marketing and master its trade. By creating relevant and creative content, you get to attract a broad client base and thus boost your business’ growth.

Enjoy the freedom to work on your videos

Do you love to take time working on your video content and perfecting the images? Then you can start using online video makers at any time. It’s an excellent chance to work at your pace and come up with a fantastic video. It’s also a chance to research further and discover new ways to edit, make, and save your videos at any time without worrying about any extra charges to your business. It’ll also eliminate the endless wait on an external producer’s list when they are also experiencing an influx of clients.

The fascinating thing about these online video makers, including wave video, is that they’re easier to learn and use. Thus, you can start using it at any time to revolutionize your video marketing campaign. Try it today and experience the above benefits as you also spark curiosity into the video marketing world as you explore its wondrous awes.

January 22, 2021
What You Need to Know About Your Employee Rights?

Employees in any industry or workplace have lawful employment rights. It is important to know and understand your rights regarding work conditions and pay so you can determine if you are being treated fairly. As an employee, it is your right to feel safe in your work environment, be provided with the necessary equipment to get your work done, and receive all your entitlements. It is your responsibility to know what you are entitled to, avoid hurting others in the workplace, and know and meet what is expected of you. Read through this article to find out what you need to know about your employee rights.

Understanding Your Rights

As an employee, it is your duty to understand your rights and know the laws that protect you. Some employees who don’t know their rights may be subject to harassment, manipulation, and exploitation. Knowing your rights will benefit you from the protection the laws offer. If you have any questions regarding your rights as an employee, you must refer to your workplace’s Human Resources department or the Department of Labor office.

In Case of Violation

If you believe that a violation of your employee rights was made, it’s essential to take notes and keep records and proof of this violation. Appoint an expert on employment laws, or an attorney, to ensure that you are served justice. Additionally, you are entitled to discuss these violations with your supervisor without fearing penalization. Suppose you communicated a breach and have been discriminated against by someone at your workplace. As a result, documentation or proof of this will further strengthen your case in court.

Job Applicant Rights

Individuals in the workforce are granted rights even before they are employed. Job applicants are entitled to protection from age, race, gender, religion, or ethnic discrimination throughout the entire hiring process. If a violation of these rights has been made, the individual should seek justice and take legal measures.

Employee Rights

Employment laws are enforced to ensure that employees feel safe in their work environment and protect them from any potential injustices.

Discrimination

Any employer is prohibited from discriminating between employees based on religion, race, gender, or ethnicity. An employer is not allowed to fire, discipline, refuse training and promotion, demote, pay less, harass, or refuse to hire employees on these bases. They are not allowed to enforce policies that impact a certain group of people differently. Employers are required to pay men and women who perform the same work equally. Employees with disabilities are entitled to equal rights and reasonable accommodation to their disability.

Wrongful Termination

It is illegal for an employer to fire an employee for no good reason unless the employee is hired under an “at-will” contract. However, in that case, an employer can’t violate the employee’s contract, fire the employee for discriminatory reasons, or terminate them because they retaliated. An employee who spoke up or reported a certain violation, harassment, discrimination, illegal activities, or the inability to meet safety laws should not be fired for raising these issues.

Fair Wages

Wages vary from one area in the world to another. However, you must read up on the laws regarding wages in your city’s Department of Labor. In some areas in the world, you are entitled to be paid for overtime if you are a non-management employee in certain industries and earn less than a decided amount of salary. You should always receive the minimum wage you are entitled to, even if you are in training. However, your employer can pay you less in some places if you receive above a certain amount of tips. If you are pregnant, make sure to ask about the laws regarding paid and unpaid maternity leave in your area.

Safety

Your workplace must be free of any hazards and follow all health and safety laws and requirements. Individuals should always feel safe and that their privacy is not violated. They should not fear being harassed or discriminated against or be worried that they may get penalized if they voice their concerns regarding some issues.

All employees are entitled to rights and fair treatment regardless of their occupation. If an employee feels violated, there are many laws in place to ensure that they are served justice. However, many employees are unable to take advantage of this protection and may be unaware if they are being violated because they lack sufficient knowledge regarding their rights. Just like it’s an employer’s duty to remain righteous to all employees, it’s an employee’s responsibility to be educated on their rights.

January 22, 2021
How to Easily Decrease Your Workload as a Writer?
As a writer, it can be easy to fall victim to your own work ethic and become swamped with a high workload. This can be an overwhelming ordeal, and so writers need to know how they can reduce their workload and how they can effectively manage their workload.

Rebalance Your Workload

If you find yourself in a position where you can’t keep up with your workload, and this is a consistent experience for you, then you should consider rebalancing your workload. Doing this will vary depending on how you are employed. For example, if you work for a company, and have someone managing you, then you need to talk to them, explain the difficulties you are having regarding your workload, and ask them to readjust it for you.

Often management will not realize if you are swamped, and if you continue suffering in silence, they will assume that all is okay. If some of your workloads get reassigned then you will be able to focus properly on your writing, without the niggling bit of stress in the back of your mind.

If you are a freelancer it can be tempting to take on as much work as possible, but often this can lead to burnout and poor quality of work. Consequently, this will lead to the possibility of redoing work and disappointing clients. So try to create a structure for yourself to follow, a routine that will not allow you to take on more than you can handle. A balanced workload makes for a happy writer!

It Is Okay To Say No

This is very important to remember. Too often people feel like they can’t say no, so they accept project after project, responsibility after responsibility, until one day they crack. As a society, we have this tendency to fear the word no as if it will bring us shame and disappoint others. The reality is, that no one will really care if you say no, because honesty and clear communication is essential in the working world.

Once you say the dreaded word once or twice, the feelings of anxiety around the word will gradually just go away. It loses its power the more we say it. If you do not have the capacity to take on anymore, that is okay.

Be Realistic

The bottom line is that it is important to know your limits as a writer. Set yourself and your clients’ realistic expectations as to what you can do. It is far better to be able to hand in one piece of work that has had your full attention, as opposed to five pieces that were rushed and poorly written because you were not able to concentrate.

It’s natural to want to exceed expectations and work hard to impress your clients and make more money, but it’s a fine line to walk, and you can easily fall into the trap of producing a poor quality of work and burning out.

Be realistic to yourself and understand that we all have limitations as to how much work we can do!

Tips For Improving Productivity

Improving your productivity will make you feel as though your workload has decreased! As a result of this, you’ll feel more in control of your workload, even if it remains the same.
1. Use a clipboard manager such as ClipClip
2. Prepare a to-do list every night for the following morning
3. Have realistic to-do lists!
4. Stop aimlessly scrolling through your phone
5. Take regular screen breaks, whether that’s to get up for some exercise or even to just go to the bathroom.
6. Work in a clean space. A cluttered desk leads to a cluttered mind!
7. Set routines
The Pomodoro Technique

Chunking is another method that writers use to improve their productivity. One well-known method of chunking is the Pomodoro Technique! It is a time managing method that breaks up your working day into twenty-five minute periods of working followed by five minutes of a break. After doing this around four times, you then are rewarded with a longer break of fifteen to twenty minutes.

This method works because our brains need breaks, and our attention spans cannot last over long periods. A lot of people found that they were more productive by working in short bursts of time.

All in all, reducing your workload as a writer does not have to be a stressful ordeal! Whether you are a freelancer or working for somebody else, it is important to set realistic expectations for you. Having a more manageable workload increases your productivity, quality of work, and mental wellbeing.
January 22, 2021