How to Find Freelancers Using Craigslist

So you need to hire a freelancer – what’s your first step? Some might automatically think of heading toward a crowd sourcing site like Guru or Elance, but that can be more complex and time-consuming than some businesses want to get into.  A quick, easy and free way to advertise for freelance gigs is Craigslist.com, that old reliable internet classifieds board.

The best thing about Craigslist is the ability to find someone local. Perhaps you need a bookkeeper, or a graphic designer who can meet with you regularly in person.  It can be difficult working remotely with a freelancer like this, depending on your business’ needs. Craigslist will put all of the freelancers in your area at your fingertips.  Instead of perusing the yellow pages or trawling freelancers’ websites online, let Craigslist do the work for you – prospects will come to you instead of the other way around.

Another great aspect of using Craigslist to hire freelancers is that it’s so fast.  Thousands of freelancers monitor Craigslist for ads that fit their skills, and often you’ll get lightning-fast replies to your requests.  If you get multiple responses to your ad and are having trouble deciding, you may choose to meet with them in person or ask for their portfolios.

Placing an ad on Craigslist is simple.  First, you’ll want to determine exactly what you’re looking for, how much you’re willing to pay, and what your requirements are. Once you’ve decided that, write up your ad.  Include the information above as well as a specific respond-to address and, if necessary, a sample request (if you’re hiring a graphic designer, web designer or writer, for example).  The more detail you include about the job, the more likely you are to receive responses from people who might actually work out.

If you find that you aren’t getting the right responses, just change your ad. Make it more specific, or place it in the nearest big city.  For example, if your business is located in St. Augustine, Florida, you might have better luck placing the ad in the Jacksonville section.

Craigslist can also be a great way to outsource last-minute projects.  Got a tight deadline? Don’t lose clients – post the details of the project, the deadline and the pay on Craigslist and you’re likely to find someone to help you get it done in time.  Outsourcing individual projects on Craigslist can also help you find tried-and-true freelancers you’ll go to again and again.

Some business owners find that they’d rather use a specific freelancing site where freelancers’ previous clients have left feedback, and samples are viewable with the click of a mouse.  If that sounds more like what you’re looking for, check out our previous post, ‘Needle in a Haystack: Finding Great Graphic Designers for Your Small Business Who Work On Budget and On Time’.

5 of the Dumbest Business Decisions in Modern History

Hindsight is 20/20, and many business decisions don’t begin to stand out as outrageously stupid until years down the road.  It’s always hard for companies and investors to tell whether a product is going to go on to be successful, but in some cases, you know they’re kicking themselves for missing out on what could have been a huge break.

We’ve already heard about some unbelievably stupid business decisions that have taken place in the last century, including turning down the Beatles, selling M*A*S*H for peanuts and making snot beer – but those are old news.  Here are 5 of the dumbest business decisions made in the last 30 years.

8 publishers turn down the first Harry Potter book

A single mom named Joanne Rowling had completed her first manuscript in 1995, and began shopping it around to publishing houses.  For a year, one publishing company after the other rejected the book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, telling her that it was too long and they didn’t think it would sell. Finally, after getting a new agent, Rowling’s manuscript was picked up by Bloomsbury Press.  The book became an overnight sensation, breaking numerous records and making Rowling the third richest woman in the world.

Xerox fails to capitalize on its GUI and mouse

Xerox began as a paper and paper equipment company way back in 1906, achieving success in the ‘60s and ‘70s with their copiers. After opening a research facility in 1970, the company developed a minicomputer called the ‘Alto’. It was the first computer to use the desktop metaphor and graphical user interface (GUI), and Xerox also developed a mouse to be used along with it.  Xerox itself failed to see a commercial application for the Alto, and a visit by Steve Jobs to the Xerox research center would later spawn Apple copycats, which helped Apple to become the computer giant it is today.

IBM allows Microsoft to retain rights to MS-DOS operating system

IBM began seeking an operating system for its new personal computer in 1980, and it turned to Microsoft for help.  At the time, Bill Gates didn’t have an OS to sell, but he accepted anyway, and promptly bought another operating system, QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System) which he renamed MS-DOS and sold to IBM.  Now, Bill Gates didn’t become the billionaire businessman he is now by being stupid – he convinced IBM to allow Microsoft to retain the rights to MS-DOS, which secured Microsoft’s future as the tyrannical leader of the PC industry.  Dumb business decision by IBM, but a brilliant one on behalf of Bill Gates.

GM scraps the EV1 electric car

Here we are in 2008 in the midst of an energy crisis, when hybrid cars are so in demand there’s a year-long waiting list and everyone’s waiting for the next big thing in clean, green vehicles.  GM could have gotten a major head start instead of being in their current position, struggling to stay above water due to a major drop in sales revenue. In 1996, the auto giant debuted the first purpose-built electric car, the EV1, which was only briefly available for lease in California and Arizona only.  It was never available for sale, and was discontinued in 1999. In 2003, despite a lengthy waiting list and a lot of interest from consumers, GM scrapped the EV1 and removed the EV1s from the road for complex and mysterious reasons that many believe stem from corporate corruption (see the documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car?).   Most of the vehicles were disposed of by GM in December 2003.

Martha Stewart’s insider trading costs her an empire

Shortly before it was announced that ImClone Systems’ drug Erbitux failed to get the expected FDA approval, ImClone founder Samuel K. Waksal informed family and friends that they should sell their stock, and attempted to sell his own.  The news got to Martha Stewart, who sold her own ImClone shares for $230,000.  Waksal went to jail for insider trading, and Martha Stewart soon followed after being found guilty of lying about a stock sale, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.  In the aftermath of the scandal, Martha saw her empire, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, begin its fall from grace.  Her show, Martha Stewart Living, was put on hiatus with no announced date of return, and she resigned from the board of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.  Though Martha is still very rich and successful, she’ll never know what the ImClone saga ultimately cost her.

Micromanagers, Whiners and Know-it-Alls: How to Foster Harmony when Personalities Clash

When building your team, it’s only natural that you’ll have contrasting personalities in the group.  In fact, that’s a good thing – everyone brings a fresh perspective, with individual ideas, opinions, takes and reactions.  That’s all fine and good – but what about those times when you seem to have a ragtag group of employees who are great workers, but whose personalities are a little… difficult? Here are some common office personalities, how to get along with them and how to help them work together.

The Micromanager – This guy can make your job easier, but he’ll also alienate the employees he oversees with his inflexible, dictatorial management style.  He doesn’t just ensure that the job gets done, he breathes down his subordinates’ necks while they work and point out their every mistake.  He savors power like a fine wine – think Dwight from The Office.

The best thing to do with a micromanager is be honest and straight with him about how you’d like him to change.  Ask for more latitude, and stress the need for employees to feel trusted to get things done on their own.  Thank him for his dedication and praise him for his strengths to ensure that he doesn’t feel slighted – which he could then take out on your team by micromanaging even more.  Keep an eye on him and run interference if he gets too pushy.  The other members of your team will instantly feel less stressed and more confident, benefiting the entire company.

The Whiner – When you’ve got a whiner on your hands, every request will be met with a complaint.  No matter what the situation is, she’ll find something she’s not happy about.  Give her too much work, she’ll complain.  Lighten her load, she’ll still complain.  She might drone on endlessly to colleagues seated near her, or offer up reasons why she can’t complete a task during every meeting.

There’s no cure for this affliction, we’re afraid. To put it bluntly, the best way to deal with it is to ignore it – at least when you’re personally dealing with it.  If you address unfounded complaints, you’ll feed the monster.  You can deal with the complaints without agreeing with them; empathize with her feelings but tell her that you’re very confident in her abilities and that you know she’ll get the job done brilliantly.  If your office whiner is bothering her co-workers, tactfully ask her to keep the chatter to a minimum so everyone can work peacefully.

The Pessimist – Nearly every office has its Eeyore.  Similar to the whiner, the pessimist will have a negative comment about nearly everything.  He doesn’t like your idea, but doesn’t have a better one to offer.  He’s convinced that your company’s latest big project will be a failure, and his negative energy is dragging everyone else down.

Very few people are such staunch pessimists that they fail to see promise in anything at all, but they do exist.  If you’ve got one that can’t seem to get excited about anything, call him out on it.  Tell him that you appreciate that he’s trying to ensure that you’re being realistic, but that a healthy positive attitude – or at least, keeping his mouth shut instead of voicing doubts – is what your company really needs. Do damage control – try to keep up company morale and if you catch wind of a pessimistic statement, negate it.  And, most importantly, don’t let the pessimist’s attitude get you down.

The Martyr – This office personality is easy to spot.  She’s the first one in the door every morning, and the last one out in the evening.  She’ll take on a heavy workload with a ragged sigh and a gloomy look in her eye, but she’ll never say that she can’t do it. She’ll make comments about not having a life outside work, and she’s always convinced that she’s working harder than everyone else.  She’ll never say that, though – martyrs are typically passive-aggressive.

Call her bluff.  Ask her to detail her tasks, and tell her that you’ll be taking a look at every employee’s workload to ensure that it’s balanced. And, be open to the fact that she might possibly get work dumped on her by a lazy colleague.  Some people are just too nice and timid to say no.  Either way, get to the bottom of it and do what you can to make sure she feels like she’s appreciated and that you’re actively working to ensure fairness.

The Know-it-All – This person thinks his way is the only way to do things, and offers his opinion as fact.  He can be condescending, and interrupts other people while they’re speaking to ‘correct’ them. He starts a lot of sentences with, “Well, actually…” and often claims to be privy to top secret info but won’t reveal his sources.  He may also be resistant to updating the skills and knowledge needed to help your business grow, feeling that he’s already an expert.

This guy can tend to stifle diverse voices, and that can definitely be bad for your business.  Thank him for his contributions, but stress the importance of allowing everyone in the office to offer their opinions and ideas. When the know-it-all answers your question at a meeting in a way that implies that no other ideas are needed, say something like “Thanks for your take on this,” and ask the rest of the group what they think.

7 Ways Small Businesses Let Money Go Down the Drain

As a business owner, you’re probably painfully aware of the fact that you’ve got to keep a tight reign on your budget. Of course, that means no extravagant company parties or needlessly fancy office décor. Those things are obvious, but what about the little ways that money can slip away from you without you even realizing it? Even the most frugal of business owners can get a firmer grip on their assets by avoiding these 7 common ways that small businesses waste money.

1. Always buying new. For a small business, thrift store furniture and refurbished electronics are your friends. When you’re first starting out, you may be tempted to put fancy matching sets of furniture and brand-new top-of-the-line computers on your credit card, but there’s really no reason to. Simple desks, chairs and bookcases will work just fine, and refurbished PCs often come with a warranty that’s just as good as those on new machines. You can always upgrade later if the need arises. Of course, that doesn’t mean to buy total junk that will fall apart soon – but if you look hard enough, you’ll find plenty of items that are like new at rock bottom prices. In addition to local thrift stores and consignment shops, check eBay and Craigslist.

2. Failing to comparison shop. Most small businesses have to buy a lot of items and services – paper goods, ink cartridges, telephone service, internet, computer software, shipping and much more. Saving just a little bit on each could add up to big money each month. That’s why it’s so important to comparison shop. Use the internet to compare prices, and always ask each vendor whether there’s a special program or plan for business owners.

3. Focusing on the wrong things. Let’s say you’re the owner of an online store. You’re a technophile, and convinced that your site needs all the latest high-tech features to stand out from your competitors, so you pay programmers thousands of dollars for special ‘zoom’ technology and other fancy widgets. Meanwhile, you’re not putting enough of your time, money and attention into the most important facet of your business: sales. Never put sales on the back burner – no matter what else you’re trying to accomplish at the same time.

4. Skipping low-cost and no-cost marketing strategies. Paying top dollar for television ads, Val-pak direct mail packages and flyers may not be worth it if nobody’s familiar with your business yet. Take advantage of all the free ways to market your business online – they’re plentiful, and easy to master. Check out our previous post, “Marketing with No Money: Using Social Media to Grow Your Offline Business”.

5. Not knowing how successful your ad campaigns are. It’s really important to keep track of whether your latest marketing venture actually got you any sales. You may be using dozens of different marketing devices all at once, from e-mail campaigns to yellow page ads, but if you’re not keeping track, you won’t be able to tell which ones are actually working and could continue wasting money on the ones that aren’t drawing in any sales.

6. Using too many keywords in Google AdWords. Newbies to this online marketing tool often think more is better when choosing keywords for ad campaigns; it’s best to stick with a few targeted keywords that will get you visitors that will actually buy something from you. Use this free keyword suggestion tool to make a list and then place only a few keywords in each ad group.

7. Having too many employees. Remember that graphic designers, writers, accountants and HR can all be hired as independent contractors, which will save you big money on taxes and benefits. There’s no need to have in-house employees for jobs like these. Just make sure that you’re familiar with the characteristics that classify a worker as an independent contractor, or you could face penalties.

The Franchise Dream: When to Go For it, When to Stay Small

Some entrepreneurs go into business with a single-minded goal: franchising.  To them, it seems like the ultimate business dream – and indeed, it can be.  Growing your small business into a chain that will get your name out there and effectively start an empire is a goal shared by many.  But franchising isn’t right for every business, and sometimes it’s best to wait before going for franchisor status.

To determine whether franchising is right for you now or in the future, ask yourself these questions:

Should I franchise? Many business owners don’t stop to ask themselves this. But, the truth is, franchising isn’t always the logical next step. Whether or not you ultimately pursue franchising depends mostly upon your personal goals.  Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? What do you want your life to be like? How much control of your business are you willing to give up to others? Be prepared for the fact that starting a franchise is, in effect, starting a whole new business. You’ll suddenly be in the business of selling and servicing franchises, and that may not be what you got into this field for in the first place. And, finally, can your business goals be achieved through some other means? Franchising can be a risky move, and if you think you’d be just as happy making your unique business the best it can be, that may be the most advantageous route.

Am I ready? Does your business stand out from your competitors? Do you have a really strong customer base that indicates that more locations will meet a real need?  Are you confident that the average franchisee will not only be able to take your business model and make a return on their investment, but be successful as well?

What does the market look like? Never underestimate the importance of doing your research.  Will your area be seeing a growing demand for your product or service? Future trends are the key to a franchise’s success. You wouldn’t want to pour money into franchising only to find that people are no longer interested in what you’re selling.

Do I have the resources? You should take this question very, very seriously, because although franchising is known as a low-cost way of expanding a business, that doesn’t mean it’s free. You can expect $20,000 - $50,000 in legal costs, $20,000 - $100,000 in development costs, personnel costs and a budget for marketing each franchise, which can run $5,000 - $7,000 each.  Starting small can help make this process easier, but you’ll still need a lot of money up front.  You’re going to burn through money very quickly, and you’ve got to be okay with that.

Is my motivation strong enough? One of the most important qualities that a franchisor must have is the passionate drive toward achieving a single goal.  If you’re a waffler, perhaps you nix this idea. Changing your mind a lot will only make the process far more expensive and difficult to meet with success. You must be prepared for the fact that this will take up a lot of your time, and while overseeing the start of the new franchises you’ll still have to put 100% into your existing business to keep it strong.  The desire and dedication to see it through properly is the one thing that will help you make the dream real.

Am I setting myself up for failure? Some entrepreneurs are so focused on the dream of having a franchise that they allow the quality of their product or service to take a nosedive.  Take, for example, the case of the restauranteur who plans to build his business into a franchise from the very beginning.  He believes that in order to be successful, he needs to create a menu that’s cheap and easy to create, so it can be duplicated later on.  So, his restaurant serves food that’s entirely pre-packaged and the customers can tell it’s anything but fresh.  Skimping on quality takes away the potential to create something really special – something that deserves to be reproduced. Your business needs to be strong enough to stand on its own before it can support multiple locations.

Keeping it Fresh: 7 Ways to Stay in Love with What You Do

Entrepreneurs have one of the most exhausting career paths, no matter what industry you’re in.  It’s sort of like extreme sports - exhilarating, frightening and strenuous all at once.  When you’re putting your all into your business, it’s easy to get burned out after a while, no matter how motivated you were when you first began.  It happens to even the most dedicated and goal-oriented of businesspeople, and it can be a steep hole to crawl out of.

Keeping that starry-eyed, butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling doesn’t just apply to personal relationships, it applies to your business, too.  Here are 7 ways that will help you stay in love with what you do, or get back that exciting feeling if you’ve already lost it.

1. Take a break. Seriously. We’re not talking about a lunch break or a 3-day weekend. You may feel like your business can’t operate without you, but you’ve got to get away every now and then to help you appreciate why you’re doing this in the first place. You’ll come back feeling refreshed and inspired, ready to take on new challenges with a positive attitude.

2. Learn something new. You need room to grow to feel challenged and inspired. There are always new things to learn in any field, so reading books, taking classes or attending seminars can help you expand your horizons and better your business. It’ll keep you from getting stuck in a rut.

3. Talk to other business owners in your field. Staying connected – whether it’s over drinks during cocktail hour, a business lunch to discuss your industry or networking at a convention – is key to keeping up your motivation.  Discuss the latest trends, newest gadgets and the challenges that you all face.  Avoiding your competitors can make you feel isolated and out of the loop. By keeping in contact, you’ll come away with inspiration to go above and beyond what the others are doing and you might get some new ideas in the process.

4. Read about the success of others.  Success stories are one of the best ways to gain and keep motivation to keep going forward, especially if you’ve been feeling bored or down about your future. Books like The Path to Success: Inspiration Stories from Entrepreneurs Around the World are great reading material for that weeklong vacation you’re planning (because you are planning one, right?).

5. Keep a regularly updated list of goals.  Actually write them down, and check them off as you reach them.  Keep the goals relatively small, so you don’t have this impossible-looking, intimidating list full of things that are hard to achieve.  It’ll give you something attainable to work toward at all times.

6. Drop the ‘all or nothing’ attitude.  Nothing will make you feel discouraged faster than holding yourself and your company up to impossible standards. So, you weren’t able to double your profits in the first year – most companies don’t. Don’t allow it to make you feel like you’re going nowhere. If you’re dejected about what you perceive as ‘failures’, it will affect the morale of your employees as well, and then you’ll be on a real downward spiral, not an imagined one.  Be realistic and accept that things don’t work out the way you’d like them to all the time – that doesn’t mean you won’t see plenty of success in the future.

7. Celebrate the little successes.  Allow yourself a pat on the back for that big contract you secured, the write-up in a local paper or an increase in your quarterly earnings. It’ll help you feel like you’re on your way up, and there’s nothing like little accomplishments to help you feel good about the path you’re on.

3 Business Rock Stars Who Have Shaken Up Their Industries

There are successful businessmen, and then there are successful businessmen who tower above the rest with innovative strategies that have propelled them into the realm of the rock star.
Beyond mere prosperity, these guys have achieved fame and fortune that most businessmen can only dream of, and they act as inspiration to many of the men and women who are out there trying to bring their own goals to fruition. Steve Jobs, Mark Cuban and Donald Trump stand out in each of their respective industries because of decisions and events both planned and accidental, and as a result, they’re enjoying the best of what can be achieved in business.

Steve Jobs – Technology should be an exciting industry, and that’s one belief that Steve Jobs has always displayed throughout his career. Over the years, as co-founder and CEO of Apple and majority shareholder of Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney, Steve has combined entertainment with technology with an emphasis on aesthetics. It’s something that none of his competitors have bothered to do, giving Apple an edge that makes the company’s products highly attractive to young people in particular. Steve helped transform the computer industry from an endless parade of bland, humdrum beige machines to elegant products that transcend function straight into the realm of fashionable. As a result, Apple has raised the bar to such an extent that other computer and electronics companies are still struggling to catch up.

Mark Cuban – Some people show signs of impending business success from a very early age, and Mark is one of those people. As a child, he calculated ways to make money, once netting $1,100 from a chain letter he started. The ‘technology maverick’ started his first company, MicroSolutions, in the ‘80s and soon sold it to CompuServe for a profit of $2 million after taxes. He then combined his interests in college basketball and webcasting along with friend Todd Wagner to start Audionet, which became Broadcast.com and sold to Yahoo in 1999 for $5.9 billion. Mark deftly diversified the wealth that he gained, landing at #133 on Forbes’ 2007 ‘World’s Richest People’ list with a net worth of about $1.2 billion. He’s best known for his opinionated, oft-controversial decisions as owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. He also provides business tips on his popular blog, Blog Maverick.

Donald Trump – It’s hard to like The Donald. He’s pompous, obnoxious – and then there’s that hair. But, you can’t deny that Donald Trump is extremely unique in his field – can you name a single other real estate developer who’s anywhere near as famous? Of course, from an early age Trump parlayed his privileged upbringing into a plethora of business opportunities, and began a series of large building projects in Manhattan with his father’s company, the Trump Organization in the early ‘70s. Over the years, Trump’s soap opera-like twists and turns through extreme wealth and bankruptcy gained him the fame that led to his current success as a television personality. His signature hairstyle and trademark catchphrase (“You’re Fired!”) have only added to the caricature that is Donald Trump.

Print Marketing: What’s Essential and What to Skip

There’s no doubt that the business world is increasingly web-based.  Companies are more wired than ever, with web sites, search marketing, social networking and other electronic means of getting their name out there.  That’s great – the web is full of opportunities and potential – but that doesn’t mean you’ll never need paper again.  Far from it.  While you may want to cut back on business-related paper items, whether to be more eco-friendly or to save money and space, some items are indispensable.

Rhonda Abrams of USA Today names the following items as essentials:

• Business cards
• Brochures
• Price lists
• Catalogs
• Sales sheets
• Flyers/postcards

The reasoning behind this is simple: you still need face-to-face marketing, and for people to remember your product or service, you need to leave them with something tangible. Printed materials make you look prepared, knowledgeable and professional and ensure that prospects have all of the important details as well as relevant visuals. Nicely done printed materials that include your logo also function as your brand identity system, helping to solidify your company’s presence in the market.

On that note, what are the items you can skip? Print companies will push a lot of add-ons when you place an order, mostly consisting of the sort of stuff that people throw away – calendars, stationary, holiday cards and the like. For most companies, this kind of stuff is a waste of money.  Concentrate on the important items above and you’ll get the biggest bang for your marketing buck.

If you’re a small business and only need a limited number of printed items, you can get away with printing some of it in-house (provided you have a good quality printer).  If you’re going to do this, however, stick to price lists, sales sheets and flyers – it’s unlikely your business cards or brochures will come out looking professional enough.

There are plenty of inexpensive places to get business materials printed up if you’re on a limited budget and can’t afford to work with a local printer.  Check out VistaPrint.com, 123print.com and PsPrint.com, all of which offer good quality for low prices (just watch out for those add-ons!).

Photo credit: Flickr user rahim

How Far We’ve Come: Looking Back at 3 Iconic Companies’ Websites

Back in 1996, when companies were first starting to bother with having websites built, the web was still in its infancy.  They put the bare minimum of effort and information into them since people weren’t yet using the internet as a main source of information, and the technology that makes websites so much more vibrant and interesting today simply wasn’t available.  Even companies whose services revolved around computers and the internet had ugly websites.  Apple, IBM and Yahoo are three iconic companies whose websites started out less than great.  Here’s a look back at their websites in 1996-1997, compared to today.  Want to check out more? Type any web address into Archive.org’s search box and see how it evolved over the years.

IBM

1996

2008

IBM’s 1996 website looks like it was put together by a bored teenager with minimal web publishing experience. It’s left-justified, its grainy icons have the old ugly blue borders, and it utilizes the simplest of html code.  Its white background, horizontal rule and limited content betray the year it was created, though sadly, a cursory look around the internet today will show you that some people still haven’t learned anything in the last decade.

What changed? Virtually everything.  IBM has clearly gone Web 2.0 in terms of its layout and content. It reflects the fact that today’s internet browsers use the internet as a major source of information, and provides organized sets of links to internal content along with a large, eye-catching central graphic.  While it’s still not fantastic, it’s certainly a step up.

Yahoo

1996

2008

When Yahoo debuted in 1994, it was a bare-bones website with a single purpose: to help people find stuff on the web.  Two years later, in 1996, it was certainly no-frills, with nothing but a header, search box, top menu and category list.  It’s pretty much as basic as can be, and at the time, that was all that was needed.

What changed? Surprisingly, not too much – on the surface.  Of course, it looks far more polished, and there are far more categories to choose from (oh, how the web has grown).  Aesthetically, Yahoo’s website has maintained a fairly crisp, straightforward look that stays true to its main purpose as a directory.  Of course, Yahoo now offers far more than just a web directory; it now has email, shopping, news, weather, horoscopes, jobs, music, personals and more.  They’ve managed to keep it all organized despite the site’s massive growth, however.

Apple

1997

2008

While Apple’s 1997 website was indeed ugly, it was still ahead of the curve – see IBM above.  They actually bothered with things like a left menu, tables, gradients and watermarks.  Though basic, it’s testament to the fact that Apple has always been a bit more advanced than its competition.

What changed? Plenty. Still crisp and to the point, the home page of Apple.com acts as a virtual billboard for its latest products, showing the iPhone 3G in brilliant detail and color. It still offers lots of content, accessible by a slick and simple top menu bar.  Apple’s 2008 website shows that less can be more on the web, if you do it right.

The Ins and Outs of Incorporating- What a Startup Needs to Know about Getting Organized

Incorporating your business is obviously not a step to take lightly, and if you’re already on your way to doing it, no doubt you’ve done plenty of research.  Despite the fact that it requires extra paperwork and in some cases, more tax liability, incorporation can be a great choice for many businesses for several reasons.  A corporation can continue on after the death of its owners, transferring shares is fairly simple, and it makes attracting new investors far easier, which is great news for startups.  As owner of a corporation, you’re protected from personal liability from company debts and obligations.

Once you’ve decided to incorporate your company, how do you get started? Your first step should be to check with your state’s corporate filing office to make sure the name you want to use for your company isn’t already claimed.

Then you’ll need to request forms, schedules and fee information from the secretary of state, or the office responsible for registering corporations in your state.  You may not have to contact an attorney to help you at all if you have a good guide to incorporating in your state; you can also use one of the many incorporation services that will prepare and file the documents for you.  The registration fee for these documents is usually between $200 and $1,000, depending on where you live.

You’ll also need to prepare your ‘corporate bylaws’ (these don’t get filed).  They essentially outline corporate housekeeping details like when your shareholder meetings will be held, who can vote in them and how shareholders will be notified if there is any need for other meetings.

The entire process is remarkably simple if you don’t plan on selling shares of your corporation to the public.  The biggest changes in your day-to-day business operations will likely just be related to secretarial tasks like recording important business decisions, as well as holding annual meetings.  Accurate financial records are key – you must be able to show a separation between the corporation’s income and expenses and those of yourself and any other owners.  And, all references to your business should identify it as a corporation using Inc. or Corp., whatever your state mandates.

Of course, it’s important to be familiar with and follow your state laws for incorporation.  If you don’t, the courts can ‘pierce the corporate veil’ and hold you personally liable for your business debts, which goes against the whole reason for incorporating in the first place.

Learn about your state’s requirements at USA.gov

Photo credit: Flickr user llawliet

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