Reginald Chan

Category: Business

  • Best Rated LLC Services Company

    Best Rated LLC Services Company

    Forming an LLC is crucial to protect your personal assets, this guide picks out the top LLC services company you should consider!

    ZenBusiness

    When it comes to forming an LLC online, we strongly recommend ZenBusiness based on overall quality. ZenBusiness provides company formation solutions beginning at $39 per year (plus state fees).

    ZenBusiness Pros

    • LLC creation packages that are simple to use and reasonably priced
    • Customer service that is responsive
    • Online ZenBusiness evaluations have received excellent client feedback.
    • Registered agent services of the highest caliber

    ZenBusiness Cons

    • In order to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN), you must spend an extra $70 in the ZenBusiness basic plan. However, we urge that you learn how to obtain an EIN for free.

    ZenBusiness Pricing and Features

    All three packages include the following key products for forming your LLC:

    • Registered agent services: All three of ZenBusiness’s packages include a full year of registered agent services. It’s only $119 per year after the first year. (We also named ZenBusiness the best registered agent service!)
    • Free Operating Agreement: Assists in defining the parameters of the company’s formation. Few businesses include an Operating Agreement as part of their standard packages.
    • Worry Free CPA Assessment: This assessment will offer you with a free examination of your company’s finances as well as a recommendation for the best licensed CPA for your unique needs. Accounting services are an excellent method to maintain track of your company’s financial flow, file taxes, and stay organized.

    Incfile

    Incfile, like ZenBusiness, offers excellent value in their basic pricing plan for LLC services.

    Incfile Pros

    All packages include a full year of registered agent service for free. After that, it’s $119 per year, which is still on the lower end of registered agent pricing.

    Incfile provides a real-time order tracking feature as well as excellent customer service.

    The organization offers an easy-to-use web dashboard to assist you keep track of crucial deadlines and compliance notifications.

    Incfile Cons

    Important company features such as an Operating Agreement and an EIN will cost you extra.

    Incfile Pricing and Features

    Their Silver plan, which is free with the exception of state levies, offers the following features:

    • Formation of a Limited Liability Company
    • Lifetime corporate compliance alerts
    • One year of free registered agent service.

    Incfile Gold ($149 + state charge) includes the following features:

    • A Banking Resolution
    • EIN Registration
    • Operating Agreement

    Finally, their Platinum package ($249 + state charge) comprises the following items:

    • A free company website as well as a domain name
    • Templates for contracts
    • Accelerated filing

    Inc Authority

    Inc Authority is yet another effective option for forming an LLC.

    Inc Authority Pros

    • They will form your LLC for free, similar to Incfile (plus state fees)
    • Every bundle includes a full year of free registered agent services from Inc Authority.
    • Website and checkout process are simple to use.
    • Customer service and assistance that is knowledgeable

    Inc Authority Cons

    • Several upsells that entrepreneurs would normally be able to obtain for free (e.g., EIN)
    • The premium starting bundles available are more costly than other LLC formation services.

    Inc Authority Pricing and Features

    Despite the fact that Inc Authority offers three startup bundles, we advocate using their free LLC formation service. It includes the following and more for just the state fee:

    • Preparation and documentation
    • Check the name of your company.
    • One year of service as a registered agent
    • Digital storage and distribution

    Rocket Lawyer

    Although ZenBusiness is the superior option for merely starting a small business, Rocket Lawyer is the better option if you require ongoing legal services after the formation of your LLC, check out the individual Rocket Lawyer LLC review here.

    Rocket Lawyer Pros

    • The TRUiC and Rocket Lawyer New Business Bundle comes with a special discount!
    • If you wish to try the legal services subscription package, which includes free LLC formation, the 7-day trial eliminates any risk.
    • Rocket Lawyer offers exceptional client service.

    Rocket Lawyer Cons

    • Rocket Lawyer focuses on legal assistance and advice that extends beyond company creation. If you merely want to start a small business, there are more economical choices available.

    Rocket Lawyer Pricing and Features

    Rocket Lawyer distinguishes itself by providing a subscription-based approach for continuous legal services, with premium users receiving access to legal papers, advice, and other benefits.

    We’ve reached a contract to combine Rocket Lawyer’s premium membership services into a special package for our users at a discounted price of $349.99. (plus state fees). By selecting our New Business Bundle, you will save around $300 (more than 45 percent!) by including the following:

    • Service of Free Incorporation
    • One Year of Registered Agent Services
    • Legal Services for One Year:
    • Expert Advice from Real Lawyers
    • 30-minute lawyer consultation on any new legal problem, and up to 40% off attorney hourly rate after that.
    • Operating Agreements are examples of simple legal documents and contracts.
    • Discounts on future services are only available to members.
    • Excellent client service

    The TRUiC and Rocket Lawyer New Business Bundle is ideal for entrepreneurs that require further legal knowledge throughout the life of their business.

    For example, if you are launching a real estate business, you may require more complete legal assistance and advice on rental applications, sublease agreements, and so on. Rocket Lawyer excels at providing peace of mind to businesses that require easy access to attorneys and specialized counsel on potential legal challenges.

  • How to Monetise a Gaming Blog?

    How to Monetise a Gaming Blog?

    If you’re thinking of starting a gaming blog or you’ve already got one up and running, you might want to consider monetising your hobby. With the right strategy, you can transform your blog into a lucrative side hustle or even a thriving small business. To get started, below are some top tips for monetising a gaming blog:

    1. Identify Your Audience

    Gaming is a massive industry, which means your blog is unlikely to appeal to everyone. With more than 2.8 billion gamers worldwide, it’s impossible to deliver value to everyone. By choosing a specific niche, however, you can whittle down your audience and provide genuine value to blog visitors. By doing so, you will increase the number of subscribers you gain and boost the monetary value of your blog.

    2. Avoid Being Repetitive

    When you are posting content regularly, it’s easy to be repetitive, which puts people off and stops them revisiting your blog. As well as making sure your posts are varied, you’ll also need to ensure that your blog offers something different to other gaming sites out there. Whether you focus on a range of different games, such as Ruby Fortune and FIFA, or feature content that spans different platforms, devices and consoles, make sure you find a way to keep delivering something new and fresh to your readers.

    3. Feature Relevant Ads

    Advertising can be a great way to monetise a blog, providing adverts don’t have a negative impact on user experience (UX). If you want to generate revenue from your gaming blog, make sure adverts appeal to your core audience. This will increase the click-through-rate (CTR) of ads on your site, which will keep advertisers happy, but users will also be happy to see advertising content that’s of interest to them.

    4. Post Affiliate Links

    Affiliate marketing is a popular way to monetise any type of blog and it’s a strategy that can certainly be used with a gaming blog. When you post an affiliate link, you’ll receive a commission or flat fee when a user clicks on the link and makes a subsequent purchase. Again, you’ll need to make sure that the links you feature are relevant to your audience if you want to make a profit and optimise the UX.

    5. Offer VIP Content

    Blogs are typically free to view but there’s nothing stopping you introducing a premium section for paid subscribers on your blog. While you might need to build up a strong subscriber base before this becomes a realistic option, creating content that users are willing to pay for is a sure-fire way to turn your blog into a profit-making endeavour.

    Launching a Successful Blog

    Blogging might be easy in theory, but it can take quite a bit of work to engage your audience and generate an income from a blog. By creating great content and consistently gaining subscribers, however, you can capitalise on the popularity of your blog and implement a variety of monetisation techniques.

  • An Employee’s Guide: What Makes A Strong Retaliation Case?

    An Employee’s Guide: What Makes A Strong Retaliation Case?

    There are a number of situations that occur at work that make the workspace toxic. There could be instances of discrimination, and harassment that make the environment unbearable. When you finally make an HR complaint to stop the disrespect, that’s when employers can decide to take revenge. This may come in the form of downgrading your position, ignoring you completely even when it comes to professional correspondence, or disciplining you severely although unwarranted. You may be passed up for job promotions or important job training. This can even progress to outright termination. 

    Make An Official Complaint

    You first should make an official complaint to your supervisor or human resource department that you believe your boss is making retaliatory moves against you. How to be sure? One way is to take note of the timeline this behavior from your employer began taking place. Right after your complaint? Bingo. With sufficient examples of retaliation, an investigation should be opened. Your boss would be questioned and he or she may well deny the claims. But if you’re sure of your accusations and nothing substantial is being done by the organization you work for, then contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

    Connect The Dots

    You need to find concrete examples that tie your complaint directly to the ensuing behavior. For instance, your employer may have e-mailed you an opportunity to participate in a special type of training, which you happily accepted. Fast forward to the start of harassment or unwanted sexual advancements. You refuse those advances and explain to your boss that you are uncomfortable and this is inappropriate. He persists. You file a complaint. 

    All of a sudden you receive a correspondence stating that you are no longer invited to participate in the training, and your spot has been given to someone else. No further explanation. Here you can see a clear line that connects one course of action to another. Such evidence cannot be refuted. This is exactly the type of evidence you need to make a strong case. 

    Get In Touch With An Employment Lawyer

    This will be a tough fight should your employer not take responsibility for his or her actions as is often the case. You need the best, most experienced lawyers fighting back on your side. Cases against major businesses like Walmart, Fed-Ex, and Sherwin Williams have been tried and won. Having experience in representing both employees and employers the West Coast Employment Lawyers are well versed in how both sides of the cases can proceed. This allows them to better prepare all angles of the case. They promise justice, support, and compensation. 

    You might be concerned that employing a firm as top-rated is bound to cost more than you can afford. The good news is that you pay not a dime out of pocket unless your case is won.

    Retaliation Is Not Always Cut and Dry or Black and White

    What you take to harassment from a coworker or an employer may fall within the category of subjectivity and not outright wrongdoing. Take for example a supervisor who asks to speak to you and leads you into his office with the palm of his hand on the flat of your back. He removes it shortly and makes no attempts to flirt. The office door remains open through the discussion. You leave that situation feeling uncomfortable and decide to make a complaint to HR. Your supervisor confesses he saw nothing inappropriate about the interaction. While no one can tell you your feelings are wrong, can he be justly accused of sexual harassment or poor conduct when no similar or worse action happened prior or subsequently? 

    Knowing that you felt uncomfortable, he may approach you to suggest that you work with another supervisor from now on. You may have your gripes with this other supervisor or receive fewer opportunities for advancement under their leadership, and feel you are being punished for speaking out your truth. In such a situation, no one wins. It might appear to be an instance of retaliation but in fact, could have simply been the best course of action. 

    Be Very Clear On What Protected Activity Covers

    Be aware that not every HR complaint is deemed protected despite your belief that it is. Some protected complaints include racial discrimination, sexual harassment, violations of safety, denying medical leave due to a disability, and labor code violations. Micromanaging and being constantly asked to complete tasks that fall outside of your employment contract do not make the cut. So if your boss decided to let you go after you make a complaint that you’re being overworked with tasks that do not apply to your position, there is no case of retaliation. 

    Sure, if you honestly believe that a case of harassment took place, but is proven by legal counsel not to be, you will not be penalized. But if it is found that a claim was maliciously brought against an employee or employer, you may well find yourself under the spotlight of the law. 

    How To Avoid Such Situations

    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suggests that all business places proudly display an anti-retaliation policy. This can be posted in a location where all employers can easily read, can be sent out in emails, or included in the employee handbook. In addition, training can be held to remind all staff of the seriousness of the policy and consequences waiting for those who act out against it. As an employer, seek to create an atmosphere in the workplace of comfort, where persons can feel free to report any cases of poor work practices. But also a space of respect where unwanted and unlawful advancements and actions don’t or rarely take place. 

    Make examples out of those who step out of bounds. Let nothing slip through the cracks. A regulatory body with no links to the employer ideally should oversee all complaints so that not even the boss can escape.

  • 4 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Restaurant’s Interior Design

    4 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Restaurant’s Interior Design

    There are quite a few misconceptions about restaurant ownership in those that aren’t all that knowledgeable about this topic.  One of the most common misconceptions is that the success of a restaurant only depends on the quality of food served in it. In fact, the success of a restaurant depends on an immense number of parameters. Location, social skills, and experience of the staff, presentation of food, marketing, and quite prominently – how does the restaurant look like. That’s right, the interior of a restaurant can entirely transform the experience that it offers – be it in a positive or a negative way. Having that said, if you are a restaurant owner, it is incredibly important that you take your time to ensure that the interior design of your restaurants is at a high level.

    Now, what does one have to do in order to improve their restaurant’s interior design? Well, that’s exactly the topic of this article, so, if you want to learn more about restaurant interior design – make sure to keep on reading!

    Ensure that the entrance is impactful

    The entrance into a restaurant plays a huge role in how your restaurant is perceived and evaluated by your clients in the initial stages of entering it. When a potential customer is deciding whether to stay in your restaurant or not, what they see when they enter is crucial. Hence, it is vital that you make sure that the entrance to your restaurant is impactful in a positive manner. Additionally, it is important that your brand is easily identifiable upon entering. So, what does all of this mean in practice – what should you do to make your entrance more impactful?

    If your first thought was to make a grand entrance hall with an exorbitant amount of decor – stop right there, that is not the impact that you want to make. Instead, you want to focus on the view from the entrance door of the restaurant from that angle. You want to carefully set up lighting and position decorations. You also want your tables properly arranged and covered with tablecloths printed with your logo to help promote your brand and sell your message. This will impress and invite your potential clients inside. In a way, you want to ensure that the primary perspective in which you design your interior is from the perspective of the client that’s entering the restaurant.

    Understand your target audience

    One of the most common mistakes in a restaurant’s interior design lies in the fact that people design them so that they appeal to them rather than to the target audience. This is a generally common mistake as you can easily gravitate more towards your own liking, of course. Now, experienced designers know how to tackle this. But, let’s see what should someone without major design experience have in mind. First of all, you need to ensure that you understand the niche of your restaurant. Try to construct a profile of your perfect customer, and make it as extensive as possible. First, focus on the simpler characteristics such as age range. But as you progress, go into more detail – what music do they listen to, do they have kids, are they artistically inclined? 

    Once you construct the profile of the perfect customer, you will have a lot to go on from when designing the interior. Remember – your goal here is to ensure that the interior is as appealing as possible to your target audience. This process is extensive, but if done right, will give great results. It truly is important to make your brand distinguishable and relatable to your target audience. If you fail to do so, you end up with a generic restaurant, and there are just too many of those out there.

    The impact of lighting

    Many people tend to underestimate just how impactful lighting is in interior design, but also in general. Lighting not only dictates how a room looks but also how it feels on many different levels. By changing the tone of light, its dimness, position, and similar parameters, you dictate how people are going to feel in your restaurant. 

    Are you shooting for a classy, high-end look, a contemporary and modern one, or an artsy, out-of-the-box look? Whatever the case may be, lighting is an easy shortcut to your goal, as it enhances all the other parameters that impact it. For instance, colder tones may play a better role in a high-end look, while dimmed, bolder colors can work better in an artsy setting. Try different things out, see what works best, but don’t forget about the impact of lighting!

    Cohesive materials 

    Unless your initial goal is to design your restaurant to look eclectic – it would be best that you stick to a cohesive style. Now, it can be downright boring to make all your furniture borderline the same in order to emphasize the overall concept. A better way to approach making a look cohesive is by employing connected themes in regard to lighting, materials, and colors. For simplicity, let’s focus on the materials. It is important that you ensure that the materials in the restaurant are generally cohesive, and this goes for furniture – but also decor, walls, and flooring.

    Additionally, choosing materials tactically can further elevate the look. For instance, many modern establishments opt for avoiding cheap, plastic elements of significance. Instead, using wood in contrast with metal, they ensure a feeling of warmth, enhanced with futuristic, strong metallic elements. In a similar manner, ensuring that you use cohesive materials among furniture pays off as well.

    Finally, it is important to have in mind that there are no two restaurants in the world that are the same. Hence, individuality and originality in a restaurant are not only encouraged – but are the key to a successful, well-established brand. Ultimately – there is no true guideline that would be able to tell every restaurant owner how to boost their restaurant’s interior design. But, as you’ve seen, there are some things that are universally important and should be considered by everyone. So, take your time when it comes to the restaurant’s interior – once you establish the overall look, the probability is high that you will not stray away from it that much in the future. Good luck!

  • How To Set Up Your Home-Based Business For Success

    How To Set Up Your Home-Based Business For Success

    In their Home Business Handbook, editors of Income Opportunities magazine reveal that only 20 to 25 percent of home-based businesses fail in their first five years. On the other hand, all small businesses have a failure rate of 50 percent, according to an article on Inc. It’s no secret that almost all business ventures that have success stories start small. For example, Apple and Amazon were launched in home garages. So, if you’re an ambitious entrepreneur, don’t be afraid to start your venture from home.

    However, like any other business, taking your home-based venture to the next level of profitability and growth can be daunting. In most cases, home-based business owners try to handle everything by themselves. They also invest a lot of money hiring people to assist them, resulting in low-profit margins. Fortunately, there are ways you can improve your business and attract customers without much hassle. Read on to get an idea of how to set up a home-based business for success and growth. 

    Come up with a business idea

    Generating a business idea is the most critical step to starting a successful home business. If you’re like many entrepreneurs, you probably know what kind of business you want to establish. For instance, let’s say you’ve been a real estate agent for years. You can leverage your expertise to start a home-based real estate consulting agency. If you don’t know what to do but want to break into the business world, you’ll need to brainstorm ideas for your venture. But with so many business options to consider, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Therefore, create a list of businesses you can start at home and select those in line with your passion and interests. For example, you may consider becoming a freelance writer, virtual assistant, business consultant, or personal trainer. Also, think of target consumers, market demand, profitability rate, and skills to ensure your potential business has chances for success. 

    Plan for success

    For aspiring entrepreneurs, starting a business is a fun and fulfilling experience. However, the excitement won’t find you the success you desire. With this in mind, be prepared to take action, which requires a lot of planning. Start by researching your target market to ensure there’s demand for your products and even identify your competitors. Successful entrepreneurs also recommend understanding your target consumer based on their interests, age, and location. Once you’ve identified your ideal customer, focus on creating a business plan. A detailed business plan highlights your specific goals for your venture and what you need to do to become successful. 

    Invest in the right insurance coverage

    Whether you’re working alone as an independent contractor or have employees, purchasing a home business insurance policy should be a top priority. You can buy different types of business insurance, including business owner’s policy, general liability, and professional liability insurance. You’ll also need worker’s compensation coverage to prevent financial impacts that arise when you or an employee get injured at the workplace. 

    Investing in workers comp insurance provides enough funds to compensate employees for lost wages and medical expenses. If you’re managing your home-based business alone, this policy covers your medical bills, lost income during recovery, and emergency room care. That way, you don’t have to use personal finances or assets to cover for workplace injuries. Purchasing workers’ comp insurance also protects you against lawsuits when an employee gets injured at work.  

    Don’t forget to create your business identity

    Every successful business, regardless of industry or size, has a strong brand. Therefore, create a unique identity for your home-based business. Creating a unique business identity makes your brand memorable so that customers can quickly identify your products in the market. To create a reputable brand, come up with a unique business name and create a logo. It’s also wise to design a website and appealing packaging materials, and then develop a marketing strategy that helps you meet your company goals. This step entails designing ad materials like coupons, fliers, and newsletters with your logo. Also, create a digital marketing campaign that allows you to stay visible online and reach a larger audience. 

    Establishing a home-based business is an excellent way of taking control of your time and income. However, before you can set up your home business, ensure you have a business idea with the potential to earn high returns. Also, create a unique brand identity, buy the right business insurance, know your ideal customer, and develop an effective business plan. 

  • These 6 Powerful Strategies Will Improve The Productivity Of Your Manufacturing Plant

    These 6 Powerful Strategies Will Improve The Productivity Of Your Manufacturing Plant

    In every type of business, productivity is more than crucial. It’s the term we frequently hear and plays a major role when it comes to running a successful company. And that’s completely logical because, without it, no corporation can be and stay successful.

    Any business owner must find a way to boost productivity in manufacturing and do the best they can to create a powerful and resilient workforce, as well as to incorporate technology that is going to help the company speed up production and thrive.

    Manufacturing employers must simply turn to various digital tools to improve both the efficiency and productivity of their workers. Many plant managers suggest that in order to be the best, the workforce must master numerous techniques and apply them whenever possible. So what else can be done? If you’re eager to learn more, scroll below for more answers.

    Useful Strategies To Enhance Productivity In Manufacturing

    Dig Into Data And Employ It To Lighten Areas Of Improvement

    Up until recently, manufacturers that gathered data about operations only typically had isolated data sets. Nowadays, the situation is a little bit different. Today, it is possible it is relatively easy to dig into data and figure out where current processes break down and what needs to be done to enhance efficiency.

    Furthermore, there’s one case where a mining firm utilized data to learn that the best performance happened during peak oxygen levels. Later on, the institution changes its leach recovery process and incremented the average yield by approximately four percent in three months.

    It is easy to see how crucial data was at that moment. Without it, this corporation might not have known which areas of the process were supposed to be tweaked in order to see any improvements.

    That’s why in order to get started, you must choose a certain problem that data analysis could untangle, and then, every single aspect of that process must be precisely measured and finally to analyze the data to determine what type of improvements must be made based on these results.

    Consider Having A Cartoner Machine

    This is a great option for every company that utilizes a carton in or as their product packaging. Now, what’s important to mention is the fact that not every cartoner machine is created equal, however, every single one of them has the same goal when it comes to efficiency and decreasing the taxing and labor that’s associated with developing cartons and filling item into them manually.

    So, what are the benefits of this machine? Namely, the advantages of using a cartoner machine are numerous. One of the most obvious ones is the fact that it can help you decrease the workforce of your employees and save labor. 

    Another fact worth mentioning is that it can boost the quality and prevent the box from being destroyed. These types of machines were designed to avoid any mistakes during the packaging process

    Adding More Ways To Boost Productivity Of Your Manufacturing Facility

    Don’t Forget Regular Maintenance

    Every company must constantly work on improving its business, however, in this industry there’s one mistake that is being frequently made and that can slow things down drastically. And we refer to regular maintenance.

    Don’t forget that downtime for maintenance is much more affordable than downtime due to worn and ruined equipment. Therefore, having scheduled maintenance is a must and has to be scheduled.  So what are your tasks when it comes to it?

    • Train all your operators in troubleshooting procedures and regular maintenance
    • Schedule preventive maintenance as frequently as you can
    • Figure out the best time for it by employing data from the workflow process and the floor
    • Do not postpone it at any costs

    Bear in mind that preventive maintenance makes sure that your equipment is still functioning properly, without any issues, work stoppage, and downtime.

    Invest In Manufacturing Workforce Education

    We live in a world where technology is continuously evolving, and the operational technology that is emerging is affecting a lot of corporations in a positive way. It is changing the way businesses are cutting, machining, and manufacturing things for quicker, safer, and definitely more effective productivity.

    That’s precisely why your workforce must have various skills to be able to work in a loT ecosystem. With the help of mobile communication tools, firms can easily teach their existing employees and implement regular training to help them keep up with the latest smart machines. 

    Organize The Workspace 

    Being organized in this industry is essential, hence, you have to decrease clutter and movement if you want to save some time. So what are you supposed to do? 

    • Reduce movement if you want to accomplish maximum task efficiency 
    • Develop the optimal layout of materials and tools for the process or job
    • Eliminate unnecessary or unused materials and tools from the workspace
    • Make organized storage to decrease time to find documents, materials, and equipment 
    • Arrange the manufacturing floor to boost efficiency

    Whenever you can, reduce travel distance and time. For instance, if a certain product must be displaced from one machine to another, find a way to shorten the distance, or to simply move it much faster, yet with extreme caution.

    1. Engage Your Employees

    Sometimes, no matter how capable or knowledgeable you may be, consulting with others can definitely be beneficial for the business. For instance, if the process is plagued by downtime, then maybe you should consider talking to your workers.

    Who knows, maybe they’ve gotten some smart answers and solutions. Moreover, it’s completely logical that the person who carries out the job is filled with ideas and can help you make the process much more efficient.

    Therefore, it’s of huge importance to create channels of communication so that people who work in your company can easily communicate up the chain, every single time they have any complaints, suggestions, and comments. Keep in mind that employees are one of the most important assets of the company.

    Efficiency is always welcome and good for any type of business. That’s why, if you’re not sure whether your company is productive enough, you should certainly implement some of these strategies.