Create A Name.
June 20, 2011 § 1 Comment
Ask Jenny: How do I go about “registering” my photography name, so to speak? If I do that, how much do I have to make in a year to pay taxes on it? Does that change from state to state? How do I find out if someone else using an almost identical name already has it registered?
–Catrina of Catrina Boucher Photography
Jenny: Great questions! There’s a lot of cross applying for starting a business from State to State, county to county, etc. You can also read my other blog published in March about DBA.
If you’re going to do it the legit way, you need to register your business name and info with the local office. It looks like in the state of Virginia, you can actually do this online. These are always a heck of a lot less busy than places like the California DMV. Most of them even take appointments and offer one-on-one business consulting for small business for free. Or you can always get help through your local SBA office.
Usually when you register your business name, it costs a smidge–say $35 bucks–and you have to place the name in a local newspaper for a designated amount of time. In most cases, a month. The business office should give you that info when you’re there. They don’t usually expect you to magically know this. They give you a few papers to choose from and call. Basically, it’s just a hoop to jump through. But if no one has your exact name, it’s all yours for that year until you renew it again the following year, etc. Almost like it’s copy written…but only for your specific city/county.
On the other hand, in today’s day and age with Internet being so popular, it’s important to Google the name(s) you like before you get a license, a website, a Facebook, etc. when someone else has already picked that name and are coming up as the top hit. It’s hard to compete on Google when someone has already been doing it for a while and, quite frankly, not cool. So while someone else in your local vicinity might not have the business name, Google it first and check to see if the website is still available via godaddy.com or the like.
Next on the list is to get an EIN. If you’re making more than $500 annually on your business and you don’t count yourself as self-employed (ask yourself: Do I run my business under my own name? Or a company name? If it’s under a company, it’s easier to get an EIN). Getting an EIN is super easy and free. It can be done online through the IRS’s website. Once you have it, you can get a bank account under the company name. And bank cards with your company name is pretty sweet.
Phew! You’re almost done. Last thing you need is a seller’s permit or license. Sometimes you may even need a specific State Tax ID if you’re selling a product like soda, tires, or corn. In the case of photography, you only need a seller’s permit if you are selling tangible goods–that is, prints, photo albums, framed images, etc. If you purchase items and then sell them, you add on a State tax (unless you’re Oregon, Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire, or Montana) and quarterly send what you’ve collected to your State.
The SBA is super helpful to get you started as is your local State’s website. They write everything out fairly simply. Just follow them verbatim and make copies of all the paper work you fill out. And you should be set to go!
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Catrina Boucher Photography is ran by my good friend, Catrina! You can “like” her on Facebook and follow her beautiful photography of kids, couples, and families. If you’re in the Richmond, VA area, Catrina is available for summer shoots! Check out her website to view her blog, portfolio, pricing, and the like. Good stuff!
Bumper Stickers and Tortilla Chips.
June 8, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I love it when you’re in the right mood at the right time. I call it the accidental extension of grace. It kind of just happens. Like magic. It doesn’t have much to do with their attitude or your diet. And much more to do with how the stars have been aligned, I imagine.
All that to say that I had an interesting email conversation with an entrepreneur in Maine per a web designers accident. For whatever reason, Scott’s response didn’t bother me in the least bit.
Our story began when Trever suggested I look up some companies who would either a) buy bumper sticker ideas or b) make bumper stickers for a decent price. When I googled “Sell bumper sticker ideas” the website http://www.EcoBumperStickers.com came up. Me liking “Eco” clicked on it and then emailed them after reading their bumper stickers–similar to ideas Trev and I have.
The email didn’t go over too well.
On Jun 6, 2011, at 3:18 PM, Scott R wrote:
go to hell
From: Jenny
To: “info@________roadhouse.com”
Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 5:18:13 PM
Subject: Bumper Sticker Ideas
I would love more info on how to sell you guys ideas! Thanks!
Rather than become angry, I laughed and thought he might think it was spam. I figured that I wasn’t the first person to do this, so I responded:
Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 8:05:01 PM
Subject: Re: Bumper Sticker Ideas
??? It says on your website to email if you’d like to sell your bumper sticker ideas. Maybe you need to update that. I just clicked on the link on the website.
And he said:
On Jun 7, 2011, at 7:44 AM, Scott Rehart wrote:
It doesn’t say anything about bumber stickers on my website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I tried one last time because I now knew there was something he wasn’t getting.
Sent: Tue, June 7, 2011 11:04:58 AM
Subject: Re: Bumper Sticker Ideas
Here’s the website that I was on: http://www.ecobumperstickers.com/guest.htm
I clicked “Email Us” and info@montecitoroadhouse.com came up (and somehow it was forwarded to you). Maybe you should look into it. That would be really obnoxious if it keeps redirecting email about bumper stickers to you. I feel ya.
Now that elicited quite a response. The one my mystery-loving mind appreciated.
On Jun 7, 2011, at 4:57 PM, Scott wrote:
Jenn-
I did not mean to be rude to you. I have been receiving these emails for months and just thought they were spam. I was tired of getting them and therefore responded the way I did.
I tried to send an email to: http://www.ecobumperstickers.com/guest.htm and kept getting an error message that there was no such address. I have nothing to do with them and don’t know why my email address would come up on their web site.
I will continue to try to figure this out, and assure you that you will not receive anymore rude email from me.
Thanks.
Regards,
Scott
My thoughts were confirmed: Scott is a bit website illiterate. I wrote a thoughtful reply and a little later received another apology from his web designer/server/host, Debbie.
I’m very very sorry! This was my error and was never caught. Scott and the owner of EcoBumperStickers are both my clients and somehow I inadvertently put the wrong email address. Very strange indeed but it has now been corrected.
Debbie
I related to Scott and Debbie that it wasn’t a problem. I knew he thought it was just spam. Little did he know a mom was sitting on her couch in Cali just waiting for someone to help. I’m glad there’s moments like these when we can extend a little grace. I feel like I really helped someone. Scott won’t be getting any more “crazy” emails about bumper stickers and can keep making delicious tortilla chips.
Increasing Creativity Part II.
March 21, 2011 § Leave a Comment
If you’ve read Part I, you know that having an online presence is absolutely imperative as a freelancer. Whether you’re searching for full-time jobs in at a brick-and-mortar company or most of your work is done in the virtual realm, you must have a blog, website, flickr account, or the like to show off your work. Most positions won’t even accept your application, resume, and cover letter without a URL (your online address that starts with http://). The following will help you get started in the right direction.
A blog can be very beneficial to you if you just want a place to store your work for free. Especially if you’re a writer, you can gain more credibility by having a blog and by posting your written work on it. You can post music and graphics to your blog as well, so if your creativity has anything to do with music, graphics, or photography, you’re in luck. You can even create video (vlogs, instead of blogs) and slide show feeds that can be easily viewed.
Blogger.com and wordpress.com are the most popular and accepted blogging sites. Tumblr is a newer blog site on the scene that is breaking in the artistic realm for it’s snazzy design and easy-to-use-ability. There are also blog spots that are geared towards more industry specific areas. Blogs can also improve your search-ability on sites like Google and Yahoo!, which can increase your client traffic. So even if you have a website, it’s a great idea to put your “thoughts” on a blog…putting your most recent discoveries and projects is also a great way to gain expertise points in your field. Connecting that blog to your website then streamlines your online presence.
Whether you’re just a DBA (doing business as) or you’re a full-fledged LLC, having a website is a great way to get more clients. First, you have to purchase your chosen web domain name online. The most inexpensive sites to date are godaddy.com (which is PC & Mac compatible) and 1and1.com (which is only PC compatible). They cost about $6.99 per year for a domain name more or less, depending on the extension you choose (.com, .biz, .org, .info, etc.). They also have website builder’s online, which you can place music, video, photo’s, slide shows, and much more on. There’s usually a yearly or monthly fee for web hosting (placing your actual website online) no matter what website builder you choose to use and whether or not you build it yourself or have someone else build it for you. Here’s the solution I’ve come up with:
I currently use WordPress for both my website and my blog, since I don’t have much use for a full-fledged website yet. Although I purchased my domain through godaddy.com, I changed my blog address path (jennylvoe.wordpress.com) to my domain (jennylvoe.com) for $9.95/year. I think it sounds more professional than using the WordPress address. Plus, when I’m ready for a site, I can hire a web designer to create what I want using CSS (a script that can be read by WordPress) and I’ll be able to edit it when I need to without needing a web designer on a consistent basis to make on-going little changes (ie post new blogs, upload new songs, add newer content). It might cost more upfront for the site design (say $3000 or so), but it’ll be easier to edit myself through WordPress.
The pro’s of building it yourself though are that you have more control over the site, what goes on it, when it’s placed on it, overall organization, and ease of use. The con’s include slow moving website builder’s, issues getting the site up and ready, non-personal templates, and probably a bit of frustration. (I took three web design classes and learned HTML, DreamWeaver, and JavaScript, most of which I still remember and have used to build sites in the past.) Having someone else build it for you means a higher price tag and a lot more vulnerability, but you can bet on getting something more professional and unique than what you’d do on your byself. If you have a big budget, then, by all means, have a professional web designer or web design company build it for you. If you’re working on a small start-up budget or you don’t have much to place on the website, you can always start by building your own and choose to switch over later to something more professional down the road, as in my example of what I’ve chosen to do via WordPress.
Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to have a website available. Even if it doesn’t have a Flash introduction, that’s okay. What you need is the online presence. Keep it simple and up-to-date (no nineties templates, please!) and it will get the job done. You’ll have more clients and a greater flow of traffic if you can give them an address starting with http:// and not just a card with your e-mail and phone number. You can also create a flickr, shutterfly, or tumblr account for website examples or templates, graphics, logos, adverts, photos, videos and much more. Sites like these can enable your customers to view your work easily and even create a host of other items on one website (that you will get paid for).
If you missed it, you must be online. You must be searchable. You must have an online presence. If your clients can type in your name after you’ve given them your business card or they’ve received an e-mail from you and your website is the top hit, your credibility will go up insurmountably. And I can guarantee that your project list will go up insurmountably as well. And increased projects=increase creativity.
(This post is part of Monday Madness: Creative Consulting Tips and Tricks of the Trade. Sign up for the RSS feed to never miss a post!)
Increasing Creativity Part I.
February 22, 2011 § Leave a Comment
It’s your creativity. It’s unique. It’s 100% you. And there’s a whole list of clients out there that are looking for exactly what you have. What you do. And what you can create for them. Whatever type of creative medium you use, you have your own unique style. I’ve heard business clients say often, “I love working with so-and-so because she just gets it when I tell her what I need.” I’ve also heard, “I have a hard time getting my ideas across to him. It’s like we don’t communicate on the same level. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t understand what’s in my head.” And that’s just it: we’re interpreters. Some people are harder than others to interpret. On the other hand, some of your clients might not know what they want.
If you’re just advertising your creativity and your clients never get to see your work before you start on it, you might waste a lot of your time creating mock ups before you “discover” what they want. If you guarantee your work, this may end up costing you more than you would like it to. Whether or not your client knows it at this moment, they do have preferences. In music. Art. And madness. It’s in your best interest to show off your work through your portfolio both online and off to the best of your ability to gain a larger market or at least find that sweet niche that really digs you. Although an online database version and emailable format is essential.
Some clients will often ask you to send them via snail mail your portfolio. Others will as you to meet with them to show them your work personally. Recordings, portfolios, and pieces of your work are great to have on hand. Sending them to clients though can mean more overhead than you need to be spending on. And often clients will not send your portfolio back to you, so you’ve lost profits and your work. Having your work online can get potential clients your work quickly and efficiently. Plus, you’re in more control of how much you and your finances you put into it. You do have a few options of which routes to choose from.
Most freelance databases won’t allow you to even apply for positions unless you have a URL. If you’re applying for a full-time position or a long-term contract, you will most likely have to have your work online so they can view it immediately without having to download it to their computer. Could you imagine if your client had to download the work of every single creative mind that they wanted to view? It would take up much more space than is necessary…none! All you have to do is set-up a blog, website, facebook, twitter, myspace (good for musicians) or flickr account, which will be covered in Part II.
(This post is part of Monday Madness: Creative Consulting Tips and Tricks of the Trade. Sign up for the RSS feed to never miss a post!)
