preferential-lite
shadow

The Price Tag of Incorporation: Fees

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.

Great Hotel Marketing Starts with Hotel Website Design

You may have the most wonderful hotel in the world, with gorgeous landscaping, comfortable rooms, and impeccable service, but if guests don't know about it, your occupancy rates will be a continual disappointment. In this day and age, the most critical component of hotel marketing is great hotel website design.

Why Hotel Website Design?

The numbers say it all. During 2007, almost a third of all hotel revenues will be generated by online channels. Moreover, over half of your target audience's decision-making is influenced by the Internet. Over a third of hotel guests choose their hotel based on online research, but book through another channel. The remainder researched their choices through an Internet portal, but then tried to book directly with the travel provider.

Without great hotel web site design, it's as if you printed 1,000 beautiful, four-color, ten-page brochures that stunningly captured the unique nature of your hotel at ten dollars apiece, and then locked them away in a cupboard. How effective would they be? The "look and feel" is vitally important in motivating visitors to explore your hotel product, and in guiding them to buy, but without the right technology, site structure, and navigation methods, you will only have marginal online revenues.

Hotel Search Engine Optimization

Even if you have a wonderful hotel web site design, if no one can find your website when they are searching online for that "luxury San Diego hotel," that "romantic B&B outside Paris," or that "adventure scuba holiday in the Maldives," it's as though you didn't have a website at all.

The way that potential guests will find your hotel web site is through search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is both an art and a science - and shouldn't be left to amateurs. Search engine optimization techniques will enable your hotel website to be returned high in the rankings of search engine results - a critical element of effective online hotel marketing.

Factors to Consider

When choosing a marketing company for your hotel website design, make sure that they understand and meet these goals:

* Generating qualified, quality visitor traffic

* Motivating visitors to delve deeper into your hotel website

* Converting visitors into online hotel revenues

Too often, hotel websites are developed in reverse, placing the emphasis on design rather than on generating website traffic. The key is to balance traffic generation effectiveness, the site's "look and feel," and conversion techniques to produce a hotel web site that looks great, gets plenty of traffic that converts into bookings.

Find a Hotel Website Design Company

Today, Internet design and marketing companies have specializations. In order to get the best return on investment, it's best to choose a website design company that specializes in hotel website design. Make sure that their approach adheres to the following guidelines - otherwise, keep shopping. The company should:

* Identify your visitors' expectations and intentions

* Work with you to clarify your own objectives

* Develop a hotel website revenue conversion strategy

* Determine site components that satisfy both design and search engine optimization goals

* Map our "click paths" that will lead to conversion

Your hotel website design and search engine optimization are the two keys to generating the kind of traffic that will keep your occupancy rates in the stratosphere!

Interactive media setting sew standards for design

Interactive advertising agencies have been sweeping design award shows. Previously a competition limited to illustration, photography and design agencies, multi-media design has matured into an art form which can stand on its own.

Dove’s “campaign for real beauty” was one of the most awarded advertising campaigns of 2007. Originally intended as a web-only interactive spot, the campaign ending up winning both a 2006 Grand EFFIE Award as well as a MAA Worldwide Globe Award. The original <a href=http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/>Dove campaign video) was produced in Toronto by Ogilvy and Mathers, as a strictly interactive campaign. None the less, the campaign has one traditional media accolades all over the world.

Only recently have traditional magazines begun including interactive media in their competitions. Applied Arts, a Canadian magazine dedicated to visual communications, now includes multimedia and interactive projects in its design awards. Recent winners include Toronto-based<a href=http://www.pubzone.com/newsroom/2007/4x071127x020726.cfm/>Henderson bas), TAXI, and other well known firm with strong interactive practices.

While there are many reasons as to why interactive is gaining popularity in the traditional media realm, one of the main sources of this newfound acceptance is the lines blurring between traditional and interactive design. Interactive designs have begun to evolve beyond the computer, entering the worlds of TV, radio, and print.

Increasing the difficulty of distinction, as interactive moves closer to traditional media, traditional media also moves closer to interactive. For example, in Japan many print ads contain small bar codes which can be read with cell phone cameras, which link the advertisement to online content. Similarly, it is not uncommon to hear radio or TV ads which sole purpose is to drive viewers to a web address.

As interactive continues to evolve the lines between “what is interactive” and “what is traditional” will continue to blur. Moving forward, there is one thing marketers can be sure of: interactive advertising adoption will continue grow and become an essential part of every marketing mix.

Payroll Wyoming, Unique Aspects of Wyoming Payroll Law and Practice

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.

Why do HP and Lexmark compatible ink cartridges cost more than Epson and Canon?

We get asked this question a lot by customers who own an HP or Lexmark printer, especially ones who have previously owned an Epson or Canon printer. So why do the majority of HP and Lexmark compatibles ink cartridges cost more? Well, it’s basically down to the design of the ink cartridges these brands of printer use. Most HP and Lexmark printers use a cartridge where the print head (the device that puts ink the on the paper) is incorporated into the cartridge and cannot be removed. This means each time a new cartridge is installed in the printer the print head is also replaced.

Replacing the print head at each time the ink runs out has a number of advantages in terms of the quality and reliability of the print produced. The downside however, is that a print head is expensive to manufacture, it is a highly engineered electrical device which requires high levels of expertise and technically advanced machinery to produce. You will not find third party companies offering print head cartridges cheaper than the branded products, because they are unable to manufacture them at a low enough price that would draw the consumer away the branded OEM product. Another downside to having a throwaway print head of every cartridge is that its not very environmentally friendly in terms of the energy it takes to produce it. Although HP and Lexmark do recycle the materials used in their ink cartridges.

So what are compatible HP & Lexmark cartridges? Compatible HP & Lexmark cartridges are remanufactured. This means the cartridges have been recycled in an environmentally friendly way ready to be used again. So they just refill them with ink? No, remanufacturing and refilling are entirely different things. Remanufacturing is a much lengthier and thorough process; as a result it produces a much more reliable recycled ink cartridge.

The remanufacturing process consists of sourcing empty cartridges that are suitable for remanufacturing. The majority of these are bought from brokers and the cost of which varies tremendously, depending on the availability of the particular cartridge (new cartridges to the market are generally more expensive because there are less in circulation). Once the cartridges are received each one is carefully inspected for any signs of damage. Cartridges that pass visual inspection are then thoroughly cleaned using state-of-the art equipment and then electronically tested to ensure the electronic circuitry on the cartridge is functioning. The next stage of the process is refilling, this is done using premium quality ink and highly accurate manufacturing equipment. On completion of the filling process the cartridge is again inspected visually, electronically and under pressure controlled conditions to ensure the unit is suitably sealed (so that it doesn’t leak). The final stage is packaging, this involves placing the product in a uniquely designed box which is clearly labelled with all relevant product codes. The box will also contain a freepost bag to return the cartridge to the recycler when it has been used in order for it to be recycled again.

As you can see this is not a process that can be done “while you wait”. Due to the amount of time and equipment needed to recycle ink cartridges the end product can be a little bit more expensive compared to third party compatibles for Epson and Canon printers.

So why are Epson and Canon compatible cartridges cheaper? The reason for this is that the majority do not contain a print head and are therefore, simply ink tanks. These can be manufactured (in China mostly) in a very cost effective way and the end product can be retailed at a much cheaper price compared to the equivalent OEM branded product.

Bali Clothing Give You The Most Comfortable Sensation

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.

Net Promoter Scores: 7 Fast Ways To Raise Them

Net Promoter Scores is one of the hottest business measurement tools. In fact your next promotion or bonus may be based on your Net Promoter Score – which asks customers one question – “On a scale of zero to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend us to your friends or colleagues?”

Customers who respond zero to 6 are detractors, all who respond 7 or 8 are passive, and 9 or 10 are promoters. The percentage of promoters minus that of detractors is your (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/-Net Promoter Score).

So, let’s suppose your company just implemented the Net Promoter Score. That means you, your pay, and your future promotions are tied to your ability to turn customers into promoters. At (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/-Customer Focus, Inc.) (www.customerfocusinc.com) we’re a (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/content/view/23/35/-customer service training) company who helps raise Net Promoter Scores. We’ve discovered fast ways to raise your scores.

Whether you use a (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/content/view/23/35/-professional customer service training) company or do it yourself, have your people learn and practice these seven techniques. Then observe, measure, and reward them. They may sound simple, but they work and do so quickly.

1. Welcome and thank every customer

Begin with every customer “Welcome to…” or “Thank you for calling …” And use a warm and sincere tone of voice that lets the customer feel like an invited guest. And if you recognize, say “It’s good to see (hear from) you again”. Score 2 or 3 points already.

2. Use names as often as possible

Quick quiz: What’s the most important word customers want to hear? In an increasingly impersonal world, customers thirst to hear their name. Train your people to use each customer’s name at least twice. Each time is worth a point up to three points. Then, to lock in those points, have your people state their own name twice. The first time, the customer didn’t hear it. Then after you use the customer’s name, they hear your name the second time you say it.

3. Say glad, happy, pleased, or pleasure for every request

There’s a reason at Ritz Carlton they say, “My pleasure.” Train your people to respond to every request with, “I’d be glad to take care of that,” or “I’d be happy to do that,” or even, “Sure, that’d be no problem.” Let them use their own words and let the positive feelings rub off onto your customer.. Rack up at least two points the first time you say it, and one or two more for saying it consistently.

4. Apologize whether you’re sorry or not

You work hard to build up your points with a customer, but you could lose 3 or 4 points in a blink. When customers feel wronged or upset, apologize and show empathy to keep your points.  Take responsibility and never blame anybody else. The customer will feel they can trust you to take care of them and who they recommend. Sincere apologies create promoters. A person in one of our (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/content/view/23/35/-training classes) once said, “We were told never to apologize. You never want to admit blame.”

Employees don’t have to admit blame or say, “We were wrong” to apologize. Apologize for the customer’s inconvenience, or for having made the customer upset, or for the situation. In the Net Promoter world, such words are magic.

5. Provide GEMs to meet Uniqueness Need

We start our (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/-customer service training) by saying that customers have three TRU needs: Task Need, Respect Need, and Uniqueness Need.  You create a Distractor by not meeting either of the first two needs, you create a Passive customer when you meet just the first two needs, and you create a Promoter when you meet all three.

To make a customer feel Unique do something extra that exceeds expectations. We call those extras GEMs™ for Going the Extra Mile. We provide many guidelines and examples of GEMs, but one thing is common in all GEMs – you cannot standardize them. Train your employees to think, “What else can I do for this customer” or “What more can I do?” And the greatest opportunities are with your greatest challenges. Give a great GEM and do the first four above, and you’re good for an 8 or 9.

6. Train your employees to create an “experience” for the customer.

Net Promoter is all about getting people to talk about your company in a positive way. (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/-Great experiences) generate great stories, and terrible experiences generate horror stories. What stories are your people generating? As a manager, you can encourage (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/-great customer experiences) by collecting stories of those experiences and rewarding those who create them. You can set the bar for the rest of your company by featuring and publicizing these stories, as well as receiving the high Net Promoter scores these experiences engender.

7. Create a “Cheat Sheet” for your employees to use with every customer

If employees don’t know how to turn detractors and passives into promoters, a company’s Net Promoter scores will never go up. Ongoing training and reinforcement in these skills is crucial for high net promoter scores. After training, create a “Cheat Sheet” for your employees to use with every customer. Then, either hold a team meeting or coach your people individually, or both. Do ongoing role-plays with each employee to practice these skills. Observe them in action and give them feedback, especially praise. Companies are adopting (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/-Net Promoter) because it is remarkable in its power and simplicity. By taking all these actions, you just might get to keep your job, get that bonus, and move on up.

Go to our website at www.customerfocusinc.com or call us to find out more about getting fast training to increase your Net Promoter scores.

About the Author

(http://www.customerfocusinc.com/-Customer Focus, Inc.) is an international (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/content/view/23/35/-customer service training) company that provides innovative, world-class (http://www.customerfocusinc.com/content/view/23/35/-customer service skill building) and culture-building training programs at low cost. Contact Steve Fugate: (817) 303-5256

&#169; Copyright 2007 Customer Focus Inc.

This Article is Copyright protected. Republishing &amp; syndication of this article is granted only with the due credit, as mentioned, retained in the republished article. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright. The text, hyperlinks embedded on the article and headers should remain unaltered. This article must not be used in unsolicited mail.

Panama Sushi Restaurants

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.

Laptops: in the 21st century

A laptop computer or simply a laptop is a small mobile computer that usually weighs from 8 to 16 pounds. It usually runs on a single main battery that can also be connected to an external AC/DC connector. A laptop has  small components that have been optimised for mobile use and efficient energy consumption. A laptop computer can generally perform all the tasks that a regular computer can do, but they are typically more expensive than a desktop computer.although the prices are rapidly falling among the major  production manufacturers.

Many laptops come equipped with a 9 volt battery that will keep the device running for quite some time in case of a power failure so that laptop computer users can complete there urgent tasks quickly. Laptops usually have liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and most of them use different memory modules to access their random access memory (RAM). They have a built-in keyboard and many of them come equipped with a touch-pad. A pointing stick or an external mouse can also be attached to the device. These days, manufactures have released several new models of cheap  end  laptop computer into the markets.

These cheap laptops are a big hit among the masses. Earlier, only high profile business people or executives were the only ones that could afford to buy a laptop computer. But  people of all walsk of life can now purchase these at retailers in the market these days. Thanks to the big competition in the mobile computing market, manufacturers are rolling out a updated model of a cost effective laptop computer every now and then.

Gone are the days when only high profile business people and executives could afford to buy a laptop. Now, several models of cheap laptops are available in the shops. Retailers across the UK have come up with many attractive cheap notebook deals. These deals have made it possible for students, youngsters and housewives to own a laptop computer of their own. The prices of laptops are bound to fall further in the future.