The Price Tag of Incorporation: Fees

A lot of benefits await a company that's about to incorporate, but there's a price to it all. A hefty price in fact. Incorporation is a long and sometimes grueling process. It also happens to be an expensive one. In particular, a company will face fees for incorporating – all this means is a company can't really incorporate on its own; it often needs the help of an outside service to efficiently incorporate. There are steps you must take both before and after incorporation that require a lot of paperwork and changes to your business structure.

Basically, there are three ways you can incorporate. Are you a staunch do-it-yourselfer? If you know what you're doing, you can save yourself a lot of money by incorporating yourself. But that's not an easy task and most prefer to turn to an incorporation service or an attorney to guide them through the process. Some companies offer more complete incorporation services than others and typically, the upfront fees you are quoted won't be all you end up paying out – there are many hidden costs. There's another added factor that will affect your incorporation fees: your state. What state are you incorporating in? Each state has different filing fees.

Just as you would shop around for a car, or any relatively pricey product for that matter, you need to do the same for an incorporation service. There are unfortunately many bad deals out there and you don't want to fall victim to a scheme. Read the fine print, ask about hidden costs, and make sure the services offered will lead to full, and not just partial, incorporation.

Also, consider the friendliness of the staff as a point of major importance. Incorporation is a complicated and serious step for a company to take and it must not be done casually. It's best if you have a team of people skilled in incorporation on your side, ready and willing to answer every question and address every concern you have. Incorporation poses different problems for different companies and that's why your incorporation service (or attorneys) must be in tune with your company's individual struggles.

In fact, you may very well be advised not to incorporate as you comparison shop for an incorporation service! It's not beneficial for every company to incorporate and if you can avoid the fees, why not?

But you're probably wondering... what do these incorporation fees cover? What goes into incorporation exactly and why is it so expensive? Here are a set of tasks a good incorporation service will handle:

·      State filing fees

·      State recording fees

·      Search for a name for the soon-to-be corporation

·      Certificate of Incorporation preparation

·      Filing the many important documents for incorporation

Furthermore, incorporation fees include that of forming the corporation and also a limited liability company. So keep that in mind as you think about the price of incorporation.

Do you feel even more confused now? The uncomfortable fact is incorporation is far from an easy thing to do, but there are a lot of services out there dedicated to making it a convenient option for your company. But it does have a cost! Even after you incorporate, you'll still have more paperwork and jobs to do to keep your corporation in good standing. Chances are these pesky incorporation fees will be worth it in the long run, but only if you choose a good service.

Wyoming has no State Income Tax.  There for there is no State Agency to oversee withholding deposits and reports.  There are no State W2's to file, no supplement wage withholding rates and no State W2's to file.

Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows.  In Wyoming cafeteria plans are not taxable for unemployment insurance purposes.   401(k) plan deferrals are taxable unemployment purposes.

Wyoming doesn't have income tax.

The Wyoming State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:

Department of Employment

Unemployment Resources Division

P.O. Box 2760

Casper, WY 82602

(307) 235-3253

http://wydoe.state.wy.us/

The State of Wyoming taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to $15,900.00.

Wyoming has optional reporting of quarterly wages on magnetic media.

Unemployment records must be retained in Wyoming for a minimum period of four years.  This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.

The Wyoming State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:

Department of Employment

Labor Standards/Fair Employment Program

6101 Yellowstone Rd.

Room 259C, N. Bldg.

Cheyenne, WY 82002

(307) 777-7261

http://wydoe.state.wy.us/doe.asp?ID=246

The minimum wage in Wyoming is $5.15 per hour.

There is no general provision in Wyoming State Law covering paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer.

Wyoming State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire and rehire.  The employer must report the federally required elements of:

Employee's name

Employee's address

Employee's social security number

Employer's name

Employers address

Employer's Federal Employer Identification Number  (EIN)

This information must be reported within 20 days of the hiring or rehiring.

The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, fax or electronically.

There is no penalty for a late report in Wyoming.

The Wyoming new hire-reporting agency can be reached at 800-970-9258 or 307-638-1675 or on the web at www.wy-newhire.com

Wyoming does not allow compulsory direct deposit.

Wyoming requires the following information on an employee's pay stub:

itemized deductions

Wyoming requires that employee be paid no less often than on regular paydays; semimonthly for railroads, mines, refineries, oil and gas production, factories, mills.

Wyoming requires that the lag time between the end of the pay period and the payment of wages earned from 1st-15th, pay by 1st of next month; from 16th-end of month, pay by 15th of next month; state employees on direct deposit-wages earned during month pay on last working day of month, for hourly and state university employees, wages earned from 16th of previous month-15th of current month pay on last working day of month; state employees not on direct deposit-paychecks mailed by last working day of month.

Wyoming payroll law requires that involuntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay with in 5 working days; next regular payday if suspended due to labor dispute or temporarily laid off. Voluntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay within 5 working days.

There is no provision in Wyoming law concerning paying deceased employees.

Escheat laws in Wyoming require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after one year.

The employer is further required in Wyoming to keep a record of the wages abandoned and turned over to the state for a period of 5 years.

Wyoming payroll law mandates no more than $3.02 may be used as a tip credit.

In the Wyoming payroll law there is no provision covering required rest or meal periods.

Wyoming statute requires that wage and hour records be kept for a period of not less than two years.  These records will normally consist of at least the information required under FLSA.

The Wyoming agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:

Child Support Enforcement Program

State Department of Family Services

2300 Capitol Ave.

Hathaway Bldg., 3rd Fl.

Cheyenne, WY 82002-0490

(307) 777-6948

http://dfsweb.state.wy.us/csehome/cs.htm

Wyoming has the following provisions for child support deductions:

When to start Withholding?    First pay period after service.

When to send Payment?    Within 7 days of Payday.

When to send Termination Notice?    Within 30 days of termination.

Maximum Administrative Fee?    $5 per payment.

Withholding Limits?    Federal Rules under CCPA.

Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.

Can you image that you can use one fabric to do many different things? This is not magic but just simply one piece of fabric call "Sarong" or pareo, sri, kanga, canga, surong, beachwrap. Throughout history, sarongs have been popularly used in many different ways in many different countries of Asia. But now, sarongs became the most famous fashion trends worldwide. You can used it as a summer sexy skirt, quick bathing cover-up, shawl or scarf in winter, wall art, beach blanket, curtain and even baby carrier. But no matter how you call them or used them, sarong is definitely a piece of clothing that you can not avoid.

Established in 1996, Apparel & Sarong www.wholesalesarong.com has set up a garment factory in Bali Indonesia.  We direct import and wholesale clothing, sarongs, skirts, minis, beach wraps, ethical art wear, Aloha shirts, Hawaiian pants, trendy designer clothing and hippy dresses, apparels, jewelry, fashion accessory from Asian countries.

Through regular buying trips to Bali, Indonesia and other Asian countries, we work closely with native artists and garment manufacturers.  By paying them a fair price for the beautifully made fashion and causal clothing, jewelry and fashion accessories, we help them to improve their quality of life.

Check out http://www.wholesalesarong.com today and make your secure order online from this largest and cheapest wholesale sarong , summer apparel and fashion jewelry, silver jewelry company.

Introduction - Panama has some of the greatest sushi you have ever had. Since we are located between two oceans that should not come as a surprise. Well for those of you clients coming to Panama here are some of them:

* Martini Sushi Bar - This restaurant is located inside the Radisson Decapolis Hotel on Avenida Balboa next to Multi Centro Mall near Punta Patilla. Their hours are Noon to Midnight Mon.-Fri., and 1PM to 1AM Sat. and Sun. Pricey but good.

* Matsuei - This excellent restaurant is located in El Congrejo (The Crab). It is directly across street from El Granda Hotel, about 2 blocks from the Veneto Casino Hotel. The restaurant has a nice dйcor and gives you a lot of bank for your buck. They teach a how to make sushi class here which really teaches you how to make sushi and of course you get to eat what you make. Their hours are Mon. - Sat. 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM, Sun. 5:30 - 10:30 PM.

* Sake - This is the hottest trendiest sushi restaurant found inside the Torres de Americas building, one of Panama newest and most modern buildings across the street from Multiplaza Mall. They have valet parking. Make sure no private parties are in progress before coming. Their dйcor includes large plasma screen TV monitors displaying lots of fish swimming around. Either you will like this or you won't. They have a Mount Fuji desert which is a volcano looking pastry desert filled with ice cream that they light on fire with a liquor. Very nice. Their hours are: Mon. - Fri. Noon - 11:00 PM, Sat. 1PM to 11:00 PM and Sunday 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM & 6PM to 10PM.

* Sushi Itto - This one is located in the Obarrio neighborhood. It is a nice simple dйcor. Food is excellent. Their hours are: Mon. ? Thurs. Noon to 11:00 PM, Fri. and Sat. Noon - 11:3, Sun. 12:300 PM - 11:00 PM.

* Sushi Express - This is the innovative chain of sushi restaurants that delivers to your home and is conveniently located in all the mall food courts plus other locations about town. Not too bad but far from gourmet. Interesting sauces on the sushi. Nice tempura. Their hours vary but will generally be open 7 days a week.

* Benihana - Yep the Benihana folks opened up at Multi Plaza Mall. They do have a sushi bar. It was very busy. They had a lot of those grills with the chef putting on a sideshow catching eggs in their hats etc. We do need to go back and try the grill (teppanyaki), which we heard was very good. Hours will match the mall and then some so they can accommodate late diners.

* Fuji - Located in San Francisco by Via Brasil. It has a simple dйcor but the food is not so simple. Their hours are: Mon. - Sat. Noon - 2:30 PM & 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Sun - closed.

Suggestion - Try them all and have fun.

If you find it a challenge to decide on an online backup services provider for your business requirements, you are not alone.  Many businesses are pretty much in the same situation with so many offsite backup vendors who offer such a service.

What I will share with you is a two-stage methodology to make things easier for you.

In Stage 1, we will be compiling a short list of services providers that can provide the minimum standard of service in the short and long term.

In Stage 2, we will assess these short-listed vendors against a final set of criteria to determine your provider of choice.

Today, we will focus on Stage 1 of this methodology.

The short list should only consist of those who can meet the minimum criteria as explained below.

1. Established

Many vendors have come and gone.  On this basis, I would recommend considering vendors with a track record of at least 5 years.  This will ensure you have an established vendor to support your business needs in the long term.

2. Large business customer base

A large customer base by itself is further proof of the provider sustaining in the long term.  Businesses by nature have more stringent requirements than say home / end users.  So, having many business customers (with testimonials) usually mean that the offsite backup vendor has consistently provided the minimum satisfactory service standard at the very least.

3. Secured Premise

While impressed with what the online backup services provider can offer, do remember to check out the service provider's premise before subscribing to their service. There should be physical security mechanism to allow only authorised people to have access to the service provider's premise.   Also, this premise should have protective measures against earthquake, fire and other natural disasters.

Established services providers often use world class data centres for their premises.

4. Scalable

As your business grows, your data storage needs will also increase.  Do consider those vendors who have data plans that can cater for your present requirements and can be expanded in future when required.

5. Affordable plans

When it comes to pricing, there are some who offer "too good to be true" free storage for life.  Well, all I can say is if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. And I don't think you will want to rely on one that provides poor service or one that may not be there when you desperately need to recover your business data!

It's far more important that you that you get the best service as long as the prices are affordable.  The way to go about this is to determine the backup plan that meets your present requirements and from there set a budgeted price range.

Once you have gone through the five criteria above, you will have a short list of offsite backup vendors for you to carry out Stage 2 of the methodology and determine the online backup services provider of choice.

Panama has three different categories of property transfer but we will deal with normal Titled Property. Much litigation concerns the purchase of land use rights and one needs to exercise a great degree of caution with these situations and not try to figure things out for yourself but instead use a lawyer, better yet avoid these properties all together. The third kind of property transfer is basically squatters rights and we will consider that an obscure method for the purposes of this website.

Panama Titled Property Purchase

The Panamanian Public Registry basically controls the registration of all titled real property in the Republic of Panama. One can verify clear title in the Panama Public Registry in the course of a title investigation or report. The Constitution of Panama preserves ones rights to have title property rights protected under the law of Panama. If the real estate that is registered in Panama has a valuation in excess of $30,000 it is subject to real estate taxes unless it has the exemption granted to new property for 20 years.

Below is a rough sketch of the Panama Real Estate Purchasing Process. Never try this without an attorney. A real estate broker is not a replacement for an attorney.

Promissory Purchase Agreement - Generally a 10% down payment is required with this agreement although like anything else this can be negotiated. This promissory purchase agreement or contract should be in Spanish (having an additional translation into another language as well is fine). The agreement should be entered into the public registry in Spanish thus securing the property for your purchase preventing it from being sold out from under you to another buyer. The Promissory Purchase Agreement gives you the time to conduct due diligence on the property, arrange financing or payment, set up an escrow etc.

Panama Title Search - This is to a large extent what you are used to in your home country. One wants to make sure the selling entity has clear title to the real property free of any encumbrances, liens, utility bills, taxes, and other filings that could interfere with the clear transfer of the title. One would also check the survey map (use a professional) to make sure all is in order on what is being sold physically in that the boundaries match what is on file in the registry, you don?t want to be buying something other than what the seller has the lawful right to sell.

Panama Real Estate Purchase Contract - This is the final purchase document that will be filed in the public registry. Title shifts when the seller delivers clear title and an escrow can be used so the payment and the title shift at the same time. This contract is registered at the Public Registry and the final balance is paid to the seller, or an escrow agent. If the title of the real property being transferred in vested in the name of a Panama Bearer Share Corporation (very common in Panama), there is no transfer of title name since it is the corporation that still owns the title of the real property, what is being done is a change of ownership of the shares of the corporation. Normally the new owner of the corporation would get resignation letters from the existing nominee directors and replace them. It would be normal to also replace the resident agent. Before you decide to keep or change the existing nominee directors and registered agent make sure you know what the annual fees are going to be each year for the corporation. We charge $695 a year complete with government fees, nominees, and registered agent. Some brokers will give you the corporation for free and charge you $1400 a year in annual fees which is good for them not you. One should make sure there is no past due balance on the corporation like the Tasa Unica which is $300 a year and that the nominees and resident agent are paid up current. If the Tasa Unica is in arrears you will need to bring it current to change the directors and registered agent and you may need the old registered agent to do this for you and they may charge high fees for this especially if they determine you are replacing them.

Our law firm will be happy to handle your real estate purchase from start to finish for you. Inquire.

A wedding is a ceremony that celebrates the beginning of a marriage or civil union, and is considered one of the most important events in life, as well as a perfect opportunity to perform a traditional ceremony and celebrate with friends and family. Costs to creating the perfect wedding may vary, some may wish to stick to the traditional church-wedding types, and others may go for unique or otherwise adventurous stuff like getting married on roller coasters or balloons, bungee jumping right after tying the knot, or cruising around town on wedding limousines, replete with “just married” signs, balloons and confetti.

Getting everything ready for your wedding could be a very stressful episode, but the secret to making it is a success is professional planning; there are lots of tips and articles on ensuring the wedding itself is a success, but there are others too that are dedicated to the wedding party celebrations.

For starters, the average cost of a wedding in the United States, as of 2007, is $28,000. This is twice the cost of getting married in 1990. The wedding industry currently nets an average of $161 billion dollars yearly, according to Rebecca Mead, author of "One Perfect Day. Most wouldn’t mind splurging on what they consider to be “once-in-a-lifetime” occasions however, so acquiring the service of a limousine firm should definitely add more elegance to a wedding, notwithstanding the extra costs.

Most couples would agree that arriving to your wedding ceremony in luxury and comfort is tops in the agenda. Arriving there in an appropriately-colored and stylish limousine should do the trick, as most limousines offered for hire are meticulously maintained with a complimentary bar and friendly chauffeurs. On the average, a wedding limousine service would usually cost around $120/hour, and some offer an extra hour promo.

Limousine service can vary with it’s price level. The most simple and basic wedding limousine service will include the limousine, driver and beverages. When it comes to the driver, make sure that the rental company provides a uniformed driver for the wedding. The last thing is that one would want a chauffeur to be dressed in casual slacks and a T - shirts.

Checking on the limo’s appearance also matters. Couples should ensure that the service includes, if it does, important extras such as, “Just Married” signs, balloons, bowties, red royal wedding carpet, interior decoration, flowers, champagne stands, wedding march air horns, which the service provider may charge as extra customizations.

Arriving in a beautiful limousine surely adds sparkle to that final touch to a picture-perfect wedding. Choosing a limousine company that is professional and experienced is very crucial. Couples are definitely advised to reserve their choice limousines in advance. Unless one is familiar with the limousine company and their vehicles, take the time to check on the available options and physically inspect the vehicle. Confirm the dress code for the chauffeur, since you would prefer a fully trained professional chauffeur.

Limousines are generally rated as 6, 8, or 10 passenger-types, so be sure to ask for the year and make of the limousine. Also, consider the size of your party and the gowns when hiring your limousine. Most companies have a three hour minimum, and rental costs generally range from $45.00 to $65.00 per hour, and some suggest a gratuity of 20% for the chauffeur.

In every business, the ultimate golden rule is: customer is king.  The ability to satisfy customers has been the core of every successful business. Every business owner should make every effort to build a great experience for their customers especially if you are in a call center or customer service industry. If you are still wondering why you should bother to address even a single customer's experience, consider the fact that you may not have any customers if you ignore one.

Here's a story from a customer who was really enraged by his experience when he called a customer service hotline of a website hosting company.  Let us call him Ryan.

Ryan called the customer service hotline on Thursday to ask the web hosting company if they could restore the data in his computer. By Saturday, it still wasn't done. He called again that Saturday and asked what was going on. He was told that the process would be finished in 24 to 48 hours, maximum.

Monday came, still nothing happened. He called again and pissed that nothing has done about it. He got an answer that it would be finished in 6 hours.

After fifteen hours of waiting, still it wasn't restored. He said that every time he called, he was specific about the date that he wanted the back-up restored. The customer service agent he talked to even told him about the exact dates and times that the data would be restored.

He called back again and after being run around for 25 minutes, the customer service representative came back and told him that the company does not actually have any back up system in place. Ryan felt so frustrated when he heard those words from the agent.  It was a nightmare for him because he had lost all his data.

“So we argued for 15 minutes and you even refused to transfer me to a supervisor.  You even told me that the supervisor was too busy to take my call,” said Ryan.   “You played hold-chicken with me and left me waiting for twenty minutes when I asked to be transferred to the billing department,” he added.

Exasperated, Ryan just hung up the phone and made his final decision.  As you would actually would have guessed now, he canceled his account. Ryan transferred to another web hosting company.

There is no excuse for treating customers like what had happened to a very disappointed Ryan. He is one prime example of a dissatisfied customer. It seems that the customer service representative forgot that the most important component of a company is the customer. Without customers like Ryan, a business won't get an income. Admittedly, a business exists to earn a profit. Without customers who are willing to make purchases for a certain product or service, a business might fall into bankruptcy. Making a product attractive and spending a lot of money on advertising will not make customers purchase your product, especially if they were treated poorly.

The experience of a customer is determined by the way the company's customer service was provided.  Was the customer satisfied with what he or she heard or encountered? People who have good experiences tell a few friends, people who have bad experiences tell everyone they know. Remember that statistics show that “word of mouth” is still the best form of advertising. So why not make some changes and leave a good impression on your customers?

Sometimes you deserve the best.  When it comes to your wedding, your anniversary, or other occasion, why not use the best florist?  How do you know a florist is the best and would also be the best for you?    I recommend a simple set of criteria to evaluate florist:  customer service, flexibility, reliability, and product.  Selecting a florist for a big event can be stressful and it does not have to be.  If you use the three steps that I recommend, it will become very easy.  For my wedding, I chose the best florist in Northern Virginia – who coincidentally was the best choice for my wedding.

Customer Service

The list of clientele is impressive.  Does that mean the florist is right for you?  A high priced set of customers is not always a good indicator for how the florist would treat you.  In many businesses, when a customer with a 7 figure income or a celebrity status comes in to make a purchase, they are given preferential treatment.  That is understandable.  My question is how is the average customer treated?  When I walk into a good florist shop, they are always busy but not too busy to handle my business.  The owner or another florist will come over to greet me and handle my business.  Everyone that deals with the customers knows flowers.  My purchases are generally small – a dozen roses, some orchids, or a bouquet of something that they recommended.  Despite the size of my purchase, I am always treated well.

Product

Do they have what you want?  If not do they suggest something that is reasonable to your budget and your taste.  Do they have variety?   If a florist can service high volume customers or the very rich, does not mean that they can service the average customer.  On the other hand, if some of the more prestigious restaurants in the area or some of the local celebrities use a florist that can be a good sign.  A four star restaurant would only deal with the top florists in the area.  A four star restaurant could not afford to be supplied by an unreliable florist as their restaurant rating and their business depends upon appearance as much as it does on their food.  However, even if the florist has high volume prestigious customers, does not mean that they are flexible enough to provide the same high level of service to the individual customers.  A florist shop should provide the same high level of service to all its customers.

Reliability

Only one thing is more devastating than having flowers delivered to the wrong building or on the wrong day. That is having flowers delivered that are dead, petals falling off in your hand with only the stems remaining.  I have had flowers delivered to the wrong state, wrong person, a week late, and flowers delivered that were clearly dead (as they sat overnight in some garage in August before they were delivered a day late).  If something did happen that was unfortunate, I need to know that they would try and make it right.  Occasionally, my floral mishaps have been made right by either resending the flowers or a refund.  Mistakes happen.  Why not go with the best?  If a problem occurs it would be very rare and taken care of very well.  If their restaurant clients use them,  they know the mistakes are very rare.

These three guidelines should help you find a florist for those special occasions.  I recommend a test run.  Order a bouquet to be delivered.  If they give you good customer service, have what you want in your price range, and deliver it without a problem, than those are good signs.