The most obvious benefit to having access to concierge style services and live directory assistance would have to be the fact that none of the information one would normally be looking for on the internet can be found in just one place. Sure you can use Google and filter through results, hoping to find what you’re looking for. But even when you do find something there isn’t always any indication to assure you that the information is genuine. For example, Google Maps can have outdated map listings, and the Yellow Pages can have outdated phone numbers. Anyone who has ever tried, and failed, to look a phone number up, for example, knows how frustrating this kind of situation can be. You may have to try several different phone numbers before you find the right one, and that’s assuming you do eventually find the right one. With a personal live mobile assistant you wouldn’t have to worry about the authenticity of sources and the reliability of information; you could just simply call them and ask them for the information. Using their systems, similar to how 411 directory assistance will have the most up-to-date information, they can give you the right phone number or whatever other piece of information you’re looking for. It would take you all of one minute to find the information out and you would never need to boot your computer up and spend 10 to 20 minutes, or in some cases even longer, looking for that information. You might try calling directory assistance but every time you do will cost you money, and given the number of searches you’ll do in a month it isn’t economical to dial 411 for information.

Building upon the previous example, the next apparent reason to have access to concierge style services and access to live directory assistance would be convenience. Of course you can spend those 10-20 minutes looking for information but think of how much that adds up over time. How many times in a month do you have to look up information and whilst not really knowing where you’re going to find reliable information? Most people will look for information on the internet several times a week, at least. They might be trying to find a restaurant’s phone number so they can ask for reservations, looking for the hours to a store, trying to locate the nearest pharmacy or doctor, or even doing research as to what stores near them sell what items. All of these things take time and most of us lead busy lives with careers, families, and hobbies. Every time we need a piece of information it isn’t always convenient or even possible to use a computer. If you’re jogging, and you want to know the current score to a baseball or football game, being able to call your personal mobile assistant and ask for information would be extremely convenient. The fact is that you’re not always going to have access to a computer, and even when you do, it may take you a long time to find the information you’re looking for. With access to a phone you could call your live personal mobile assistant; you could also call directory assistance but that would be costly over time. We know your time is valuable, so why not save as much of it as possible to spend on the things that are more important to you?

Finally it should be mentioned that being able to talk to a live human being has its merits. You can’t simply type a question into a search engine and expect a response. You can post a question on a forum or even on a blog but it could be hours or days before someone replies to you. What if you need that information now? You can’t afford to wait that long. For example, let’s say you’re looking for a sushi restaurant; you can call directory assistance, which you pay for every single time, or go to Google maps and search “sushi” and it will give you every single place that has the word sushi in its name or description. You may even get results for places that aren’t even restaurants, but just have sushi in their name or description. Perhaps it is a sushi-grade fish distributor, perhaps it is a design company with sushi in the name, perhaps someone decided to put sushi in the description because people search for sushi a lot. There’s no telling what the results will be, but you can easily see how searching for one thing can give you results you didn’t intend (like searching steak and getting a list of butchers). And then there are searches of a highly specialized nature, for example, if you’re looking for a commercial real estate broker who deals in smaller spaces. How would you search for that on Google Maps? With a live person to talk to you can tell them what you’re looking for, give them your search parameters, and they can vet the search results for you. They’re trained to carefully examine the results to make sure you’re getting exactly what you asked for and nothing else and then give you the correct information. If you have follow-up questions you can ask them as well, something you can’t do with a search engine. For example say you found a high rated sushi restaurant nearby but now you wanted to know their hours, their prices, or even if they serve your favorite type of sushi; you can ask your concierge and they can answer you. If you were using a search engine you would have to start your search all over again.

Normally a service such as having a personal concierge is reserved for high-level executives and the upper-class who may not have time to make reservations and look up information due to their lifestyle. However with Ask On Call this service is available to anyone and everyone for a very affordable rate. We have several more benefits listed on our website for your review, and we would love to hear from you in order to answer any questions you may have about the service. With the amount of times you will need information it is not cheaper to use directory assistance and we allow you to call us an unlimited number of times. In addition, our call center is located right here in the United States so you won’t have to worry about dealing with someone who doesn’t understand what you’re talking about, or not being able to understand them. We take pride in the services we offer and we hope you’ll check us out if you’re looking to make your life a little bit easier and reclaim some of the time that you spend everyday just trying to find information.

Ask yourself why you are working. Why did you choose to start this business in the first place? The reason probably wasn’t so that you could run yourself into the ground. You most likely really love what you are doing or you see potential for a great profit in the business. Reevaluating your goals and making your vision a priority can help you put things into perspective.

If hiring a personal assistant or taking on a partner is just out of the question, you’re not alone. Usually it isn’t the cost that turns business owners away, but the pressure that it will add to trust someone else to do things how you want them done. If this is the case, then you need to really ask yourself “Is it possible?” If you feel like you’re doing the work of two, three, or four people, then you may need to suck it up and really consider hiring someone.

You don’t want someone to mess things up and create more work for you, so you may be able to hire someone just to do mundane tasks that take up your time, but don’t necessarily take much expertise. For example, entering your mileage or receipts into your tax software. You can easily double check entered information for accuracy without spending hours sifting through receipts. Or, it may be cheaper to hire a tax person to do this for you, than to pay an employee. Some certified tax accountants are personally responsible for the accuracy of your taxes, so you can trust that they care enough to do it right.

You can find other ways to handle stress without spending money on personal assistants or more employees. Streamline your processes. Invest a little in software to handle things that take you the most time. Inventory, payroll, taxes, expenditures, and more can all be handled by specialty computer programs that free up your time. You can network your computers so that you can access the records from the office, your home, your laptop, or your cell phone. This will save you from having to go into the office when you don’t have time.

Another way to save money on directory assistance or a personal assistant is to use mobile concierge services. You will save so much time looking for restaurant recommendations, weather updates, turn by turn directions, flight information, phone directory information, and more. This type of service is perfect for small business owners because it saves so much time and money.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

Offering discounts may seem tempting because you know that it will get people into the store. They will come, be happy that they’re getting a discount, and buy something. However, do you think that they’ll be back when you’re not having a sale? Probably not. Listen to your regulars chatting as they shop. Chances are you’ll hear them saying things like, “I like this, I can’t wait for it to go on sale.” Or you’ll hear them say, “I know that they price these so high so that they can still make a profit when they go on sale.” How do you think that this impacts your store image?

Customers are savvier than you think. Take buying a car, for example. Are you going to go in and pay sticker price when you know that there’s a holiday right around the corner? No way! Don’t let your business fall into the trap of always having to offer discounts to get sales. You are probably asking yourself now, “How do I get my sales up without ever having a sale?” Good question.

Now is the time to ask yourself why someone would want to come and spend money at your business. Why do people normally spend more on one thing than another, when the products are almost identical? The answer is brand. People associate brands with quality. They need to trust your brand name in order to justify spending more money with you when your prices are at a normal level. They don’t need to wait for a sale if they feel like your business is being honest with you about their pricing in the beginning. Having a sale can hurt your store image and turn off your regular customers because they feel like they’ve been tricked into paying full price in the past.

Come up with other ways to sell your brand, improve your product or services, and save money on running the business to increase your profits. Work closely with a financial planner to figure out where you can cut cost and maximize your deductions without lowering your prices. Work with a specialist that can teach you how to improve your store image or product quality at the same time. Use cheaper services and less staff whenever possible. For example, you can use mobile concierge services while on business trips, instead of depending on expensive directory assistance calls or needing to hire a personal assistant to keep track of your reservations, restaurant recommendations, weather, and flight details. Sometimes tightening your belt a little financially can really pay off and help you to work on increasing your quality and business image without discounting.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

Hiring a professional who is very familiar with small business can be most beneficial. Think about how familiar they are and how dedicated they are to learning about all the tax breaks for small businesses if they themselves run a small business! This could affect your decision on who you hire. Hiring someone from a big company may seem like the safest route, but hiring an independent could be beneficial. Feel free to ask about their experience in filing for small businesses and ask if they themselves file this way. Get recommendations from other businesses similar to yours and you can get an idea of who will be best to work with you.

Now on to the deductions! There are a lot of legitimate deductions for small businesses. You will need to keep meticulous records to maximize the benefits of owning a small business. The best way is to consider where you work. If you’re like most business owners, you don’t just work in the office. You travel around, meet with clients, run errands, and sometimes work late nights at home.

Take advantage of all the places you work. You can currently deduct fifty five cents per mile that you travel for work. That’s about your cost of gas or more! You can deduct depreciation, taxes, and more on your vehicle if you run errands or ever use your car for work. Just keep a mile log in your vehicle to make getting this deduction easier.

Working at home can really maximize your benefits. If you have a home office, you can deduct the square footage of that office, equipment or computers and programs that you purchase, depreciation on your furniture and computer that you use, and more. All of this depends on the percentage of your home that you use for a specific percentage of time, so keep track of everything. Your power bill, taxes on your home, mortgage interest, phone lines, internet access, and more can be deducted if you properly keep up with these details.

Services that you use to make your business run smoothly can be deducted. If you use directory assistance when you’re on the road or mobile concierge services to make travelling easy, they can be deducted. Speak with your tax professional often to make sure that you are keeping track of everything. When tax time rolls around, you’ll be ready to get the maximum benefit of owning a small business!

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

An extension gives you time to get your paperwork together. However, it doesn’t really give you extra time to pay. When you file an extension as a small business owner, you will be required to estimate what your taxes will be. You should start paying what you think you will owe right away. When the extension is over and you have filed, you can pay the remainder if you end up owing more than you thought you would.

If this is your first year, you definitely need to speak with a tax advisor. Figure out what all you can deduct. If you find out you can deduct something that you didn’t expect, then an extension will give you time to come up with receipts or bank statements telling you how much you spent on something that you can use when you actually file.

When you speak with your tax advisor, find out if changing the structure of your business could save you money. For example, if you are a sole proprietor, becoming an LLC (Limited Liability Company) or a corporation might bring your taxes down significantly enough to offset any cost that go into getting the title.

Be sure that you file on time. There are different rules for different types of corporations. However, all are required to file by April 15. You have to submit either an extension or your actual tax return by this date, or the penalties start to kick in. If you are sixty days late, then you will really get hit hard with penalties and interest.

Come up with ways to save your business money. A computer tax tracking system can be really helpful. Find ways to change your activities so that they are tax deductible. For example, your phone bill can be deducted if you use it for business. You may think that this only means your office phone or your cell phone if it is dedicated to the business. However, there are equations to figure out percentages of deducting your home phone or your personal cell phone if they are ever used for business. Even directory assistance calls can be deductible.

Simplify keeping track of your deductions by streamlining things that are making keeping track harder. Get a dedicated office cell phone so that you don’t have to figure percentages. Use mobile concierge services for phone directory assistance instead of making pricey individual calls. The cost is minimal and it is easy to figure out how much you spent at tax time.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

1) Learning to delegate can be an invaluable tool. This doesn’t mean that you should just hand out your work to other people to complete. You have to make careful decisions so that you don’t end up making matters worse. Interview and make notes of your employees’ special skills and strengths. When a task comes up, figure out who would be best for the job. Making special assignments can make employees feel important and trusted, strengthening their loyalties to you and your business. Plus, getting some help from eager employees can help you to accomplish tasks in a more efficient manner and maybe even get some new ideas.

2) Actively work on your time management skills. Making lists can be a very effective and motivating tool. As a small business owner, you probably have a lot on your plate. As the day goes on, it can seem like the list just gets longer and longer. Managing your time, prioritizing, and delegating can help you to get things done and motivate you to keep going. Prioritize according to urgency, importance, or even difficulty, which ever makes sense for your business. A lot of people choose to tackle the hardest thing on their list first, just so it’s not looming over them for the rest of the day. Get it done in the morning before ten more things come up and while your mind is fresh and rested.

3) Being a leader means setting a good example for your employees. You have to be flexible to change while staying true to your vision and your standards. Employees look to you for direction. A good attitude and a hard working ethic can encourage and inspire your employees to be the same. Make sure that you interact with your employees on a daily basis so that you can stay abreast of problems or concerns that may be brewing. Get to know your employees and let them get to know you. A professional interpersonal bond strengthens the working relationship that you have with your staff.

4) Save money and simplify whenever possible. Nothing feels worse than realizing that you shouldn’t have blown that money that you could use now. Cutting your own perks will show employees that you are serious about helping them keep their jobs in times of uncertainty. Instead of hiring a personal assistant, do the legwork yourself. If you don’t have time, then use something like mobile concierge services to take care of things like getting flight information, directory assistance, hotel reservations, driving directions, and restaurant recommendations. These services are very inexpensive and can save you a lot of money in no time. When your employees see you working hard, saving money, and trusting them with more responsibilities, they will help you to run your business more smoothly and effectively.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

Never ignore employee complaints. Acknowledge them in a respectful manner. In fact, you should encourage employees to bring complaints directly to you to avoid affecting the morale of the other workers. Sometimes employees simply need to vent or find someone who will just listen. Make sure that there is a definite system in place for making complaints. You may need to put an anonymous complaint box or survey all employees anonymously to get the raw truth.

Avoid phrases like, “Well what do you expect me to do?” Work on coming up with solutions that work for the employees and the company. Communication is key. Help employees strip down complaints and write down the facts. When emotions are involved, it can be hard to determine the root of the problem and effectively take control. Being able to fairly handle situations personally will save you money and boost confidence among your employees.

If your business is wading in questionable waters, you will start to notice that employees are fearful, stressed, and feel more vulnerable. Keep them involved with the company to boost morale. If you don’t have money to give them, give them new responsibilities. Training, tuition reimbursement, or creating teams to work together can help employees focus on something new.

Instead of having a big holiday party or a pot-luck lunch to boost morale, give employees time to take care of their families. Most people would rather go home than spend time at work doing nothing. With almost all parents working full-time, it can be very stressful to feel trapped at work. Granting them time with their families will definitely put you on their good side! It shows that you understand what they sacrifice to work for you, and they’ll appreciate that.

Treat employees with respect. Get interested in their personal lives enough to relate when they are having a difficult time. Be patient and understanding about hardships. Never yell or put down an employee. All employees that find out about it will lose respect for you and your company. Making sure that you are giving each employee recognition and attention may take time and effort, but it will be worth it.

If your company is in trouble, let your employees be involved in how you are going to secure their jobs. Let them know when you decide to save money by turning down the thermostat at night, or by bringing in the coffee supplies yourself instead of having them delivered. If you can’t afford big lavish parties and bonus checks, then find other ways to cut costs and make employees happy. Find services that help small businesses save money. For example, mobile concierge services can be used in the place of phone directory or directory assistance, and can just about replace a personal assistance.

Saving money, having open communication with employees, and treating everyone with respect will earn you a happy and productive workforce.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

Customers can sense a great company when they see it. From the moment they walk in, see your web site, or speak to someone on the phone, you want them to feel the essence of your vision. In order for this attitude to trickle down to the lowest employee on the totem pole, you have to plan out your every step, making sure that things will work together in harmony. Being a good leader doesn’t happen overnight. Use these tips for becoming the small business leader that you need to be.

Lead by example. Let your workers see you working hard, putting in extra time, and going above and beyond to make sure that their jobs are fair and productive. Offer to help if things are not getting done, instead of offering punishments.

Don’t micromanage your employees. Instead, give them opportunities to excel. Give them responsibilities that they can manage. If you need to, start with small projects and work them up to the level where you need them to be. Having successes will boost their esteem and their confidence in completing tasks.

Be a good listener. Employees often have struggles that you may not be aware of. They may be scared to tell you when they think things are being mismanaged or their accomplishments are going unnoticed. Stress your “open door policy” and let employees know that they will never be reprimanded for bringing sensitive subjects to your attention. Personally talk to each employee or periodically contact them through e-mail asking questions about how things are run, how they could be improved, and things of that nature. Often employees will tell you through an e-mail things that they may not be comfortable telling you in person.

Treat everyone with respect. You have to give respect to get it. This can mean giving employees the benefit of the doubt, even if you don’t feel like you should. Treat them as an equal and help them to excel.

Put your money where your mouth is. Give deserved raises whenever possible. If money is a problem, you may have to find ways to save. You can involve your employees by starting up recycling programs, trying to turn your office into a paperless environment, or holding community benefit events to raise money. Cut costs by learning how to do some things yourself instead of hiring someone to help. For example, you can eliminate the need for a personal assistant by utilizing mobile concierge services, or making all of your travel plans yourself. You can reduce travel expenses by holding more conference calls, or consolidating your travel plans so that you don’t stay overnight. Hold contests and frequent meetings to keep employees motivated and upbeat. Nothing beats a good old fashioned positive attitude when it comes to managing a small business.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

Sole Proprietor: A sole proprietorship is a type of business owned and run by an individual. The owner runs the business and is personally liable for all debts of the business. A sole proprietor has no partners and is subject to fewer regulations and taxes than a corporation. They simply file their taxes as “self employed”. A sole proprietorship can grow until the liability becomes too much for a single person to handle. This is why many sole proprietorships end up becoming registered as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a corporation.

Business Owner: A business owner is not the same as a sole proprietor. A sole proprietor owns and runs a business whereas a business owner simply provides the capital, maybe offers some expertise, but the business itself can run without the business owner’s input. Taxes are generally filed as “self employed” unless there is more than one person involved, which there usually is, and then LLC or corporation tax laws must be used.

Contractual Worker: Being a contract worker is much the same as being self employed. Remember that you are independent and your overhead will be significantly more than an employee. Contract workers are hired by corporations or other businesses because of their specific skills and the money that the employer will save on taxes, such as social security costs. Contract workers will pay the highest taxes, as much as 40%, so charge accordingly when you take a job.

Being self employed can have many freedoms and benefits, but it comes with a greater responsibility for one’s own fate. Being a diligent bookkeeper is important. Finding ways to track your income, expenses and possible tax liabilities will help you to be more successful. Finding ways to save money and claim expenses is essential. You may decide to work from a home office instead of renting office space. You can invest in video conferencing equipment which may replace your need to travel for meetings. You can utilize popular small business solutions, like using mobile concierge services for directory assistance instead of paying a hefty fee every time you need directions, flight information, or a restaurant recommendation.

Finding ways to save money and classify yourself in the most profitable position will help you to make being self employed the dream that you hoped it would be.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.

-Automatic payroll and overtime alert software will help you to eliminate the need to manually input data when managing payroll. It streamlines the process making it less likely that you will make a mistake. It also gives you a heads up when people are working overtime so that you can better plan your budget or adjust your priorities.

-Multi-site VPNs (virtual private networks) can give you secure access to your business systems from home or while on travel. VPNs use the internet to provide secure access to your information while off-site. Setting up a VPN can be as easy as choosing a provider. Small business owners find VPNs very useful, efficient, and affordable. You can provide access to your employees that are away from the office to ensure that a secure network is maintained.

-Use back office systems to seamlessly integrate all kinds of information into different programs. This eliminates a lot of legwork that can ultimately lead to mistakes and lost money. Working with stacks of paperwork really isn’t an option in today’s busy environment. Electronic files are easy to access, can be updated through back office systems, and can quickly be shared through e-mail.

-Provide your workforce with mobile services that keep them efficient. When you or your employees travel, there is a lot of room for error, time mismanagement, and overspending. Missed flights, not being able to access driving directions, and a lack of knowledge about the area can all lead to an expensive or unproductive trip. Mobile phones are helpful for communication. You can also sign up for mobile concierge services that will eliminate a lot of the problems that business travelers run into.

These services offer a live person to give you and your employees turn by turn directions, hotel reservations, directory assistance, flight information, stock quotes, restaurant recommendations and more. Mobile concierge services can offer worldwide information, which makes them far superior to conventional directory assistance or phone directory 411 services. Additionally, they cost a lot less and provide current information.

Using these tips you can streamline your business and keep your workforce in check. Eliminating the need for lots of paperwork and man hours of data entry will save you money and hassle. Mobile concierge services, VPNs, back office software, GPS tracking, and automatic payroll can really help you efficiently run your business.

About the Author: Joe Smith is a Marketing Associate of OnCall, a leading online source of mobile concierge services that goes above and beyond traditional directory assistance. Get international personalized assistance with phone direcory information, turn by turn directions, movie times, stock quotes, sports scores, and more at http://www.askoncall.com.