Starting,Online,Small,Business DIY Starting an Online Small Business

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Normal 0 false false false EN-US KO X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}Starting an OnlineSmall Business  Although thisarticle provides information for starting an online small business, theinformation can also be used for starting a brick and mortar small business in anyindustry. The firststep in starting your online or offline business is to name it.  When considering the name of your business,make sure it reflects the products or services you will be offering.  Take into consideration not only the productsyou will offer today, but also the products or services you could possiblyoffer in the future.  Once you have namedyour business, it is a hassle to change it; especially, if you have doneextensive marketing. If you choosea name for your business that is different than your surname, you have to file aFBN (Fictitious Business Name) Statement with your county.  For example, if your business name is Brown& Baker Associates or Brown & Baker Sons, you are required to file aFBN Statement.  Although, your surname isBrown, as well as Baker being the surname of your partner, associates’ andsons’ surnames are unknown; therefore, filing a FBN Statement is necessary.  If the name of your business is Sally BrownBusiness Services, then you are not required to file a Fictitious Business NameStatement, because you are conducting business under your legal name, SallyBrown. Once you havefiled your statement, it is effective for five years and will need to berenewed at the end of that time period.  Youare also required to publish your FBN Statement with court-approved newspapers oncea week for four consecutive weeks.  Ifyour business is located in San Diego County, the county clerk’s officeprovides you with a list of newspapers for you to make your selection.  If at the end of your five-year period youhaven’t changed your business name, ownership, or business location, it is notnecessary to publish your renewed statement. Copies of your filed statement are available, including a certifiedcopy.  You will need your certified copyto open a business bank account. Be sure tocheck with your county for their exact requirements as they may vary from theaforementioned, which are based on the requirements of San Diego County. You will alsoneed a business license, which is required by your city and is renewableannually.  When you renew, there is anadministrative fee plus $.05 on every $100 ($.0005 x gross receipts) you earnedin the previous year.  Different citiesmay have different formulas to determine the fee for a business license.  The City of Oceanside uses the previouslymentioned formula.  Again, check withyour city for their exact requirements. After youhave taken care of all the administrative tasks, now the real work begins.  Marketing your small business is verytime-consuming and a lot of work. However, majority of the internet marketing tools available to smallbusiness owners today cost little to no money. I wrote an e-book on internet marketing tools, entitled “OnlineMarketing Tools for Today’s Small Business.” Click here for more information on my e-book.  The tools and strategies I discuss are allonline and, as I mentioned earlier, cost little to no money; however, they arevery time-consuming. You may wantto consider working with a Virtual Assistant, who is also a small businessowner.  You can think of virtualassistants as your online administrative assistants.  Chances are they are using the same internetmarketing tools and strategies to market their business; therefore, they willknow how to apply the same marketing strategies to your business.  They can also help you with your otheradministrative tasks. Overall,operating a small business has its pros and cons.  It is your company.  No one can fire you or lay you off.  However, it consumes a lot of your time and ittakes discipline.  Becoming a successfulsmall business owner doesn’t happen overnight. Working with a Virtual Assistant will free up a great deal of yourvaluable time, as well as help you to be organized.  This will allow you to focus on your productsand/or services, in addition to gaining clients.