San Francisco Internet Marketing and Business Services
San Francisco Internet Marketing and Business Services
Small businesses often lack the time, resources and expertise necessary to complete critical business functions. But to be competitive, small businesses need the same quality of services traditionally accessible to only larger enterprises. PlusStuff helps small businesses grow by simplifying the execution of critical business functions such as launching an integrated marketing campaign, leveraging technology and providing cost effective resources to enhance small businesses opportunities for success.
We are committed to providing the business services and constant support necessary to transform great ideas into even better companies.
How can we help?
Popularity: 3% [?]
Enterprise Zones Tax Credit & Incentives and Jobs Now! Workshop
| December 10, 2009 |
The Small Business Commission
Cordially invites you to our
Local/State/Federal Enterprise Zones Tax Credit & Incentives and Jobs Now! Workshop –
Thursday, December 10, 2009
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
City Hall – Room 3051 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
There are many local, state and federal tax credits and incentives available to small businesses but many small business owners are unaware of them. We have put together this workshop for CPAs with clients that are predominantly Spanish speaking small business owners to educate and encourage everyone to take advantage of these money saving programs.
This workshop is a part of Mayor Newsom’s effort to reach out to small business owners and ensure that all eligible small businesses are well informed. We hope you will join us for an informative and valuable session!
RSVP:
Jane Gong
jane.gong@sfgov.org
415-554-6489
Popularity: 4% [?]
Stop reading your email!
How many time a day do you check your email? Are you a slave to your inbox?
Break the habit with these helpful tips -
- Create your daily to do list before you check your emails – it will help you prioritize what need to get done that day. You can always add an item from your inbox.
- Instead of constantly checking your emails – allocate specific times to check emails. According to a study by Gartner Inc., which surveyed corporate email users, 53 percent of users check their mail six or more times a day. Men are twice as likely as women to check email more than 15 times a day.
- Remember the 3 D’s – Deal with it, Delegate it or Delete it.
- Clean Up Your Act – Seriously, organize your email folders – delete or file an email when finished. Use a spam filter to eliminate unwanted spam. A little time now, will save hours of searching through old emails later.
- Separate emails – don’t have your personal emails come to your office. That way at work you just have to deal with work. Added benefit – you employer or your IT guy doesn’t end up seeing your email exchange with your gynecologist’s office.
By checking your emails less often, you’ll remain more focused. And trust me, if an important email comes in and you don’t respond – someone will call you!
Popularity: 2% [?]
2009 SBDC Small Business Survey
The Northern California SBDC Network is again conducting a study of small business needs. I would appreciate it if you would forward this e-mail to your mailing lists and small business constituencies.
Please go to the following URL and complete the short survey:
http://norcalsbdc.org/sites/misc/limesurvey/index.php?sid=95157&lang=en
It will take you a few minutes and it will help our network serve the small business community better.
Popularity: 3% [?]
WWW.RECOVERY.ORG
Stay Abreast of Procurement Opportunities Using WWW.RECOVERY.ORG
Recovery.org, a service of Onvia, is tracking American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) spending by Federal, State and Local agencies and provides detailed information about what is happening in our States and Municipalities – from the moment ARRA funds are approved, to a government agency’s issuance of a Bid or RFP, through contract award to a business.
Onvia developed Recovery.org to bring unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability to recovery spending* and to ensure that every business, regardless of size, has equal access to the projects associated with the recovery efforts. In order to create jobs, businesses need information about when and where ARRA-funded projects are happening, and they need to know early on in order to prepare and submit bids/proposals. Onvia’s Recovery.org site provides early notices of projects, RFPs, bid documents, amendments to these documents, and contract award information about contractor and subcontractor recipients of Recovery funds, as close to real-time as is possible. Business owners need this information in order to actually win Recovery-funded contracts and thereby hire or retain employees to perform on the contract.
Onvia is the leading provider of Business-to-Government solutions in the United States, covering the broadest set of industries and products at every level of the public sector – Federal, State, Local and Education. For more than twelve years, Onvia has delivered unparalleled coverage of government purchasing activity and commercial/residential projects for clients in a variety of industries, including:
- Architecture and Engineering
- Construction
- IT/Telecom
- Healthcare
- Operations and Maintenance
- Professional Services
- Transportation
- Water and Energy/Alternative Energy
Businesses across the United States rely on Onvia as a comprehensive resource for industry-specific information needed to make intelligent sales decisions. Find out what Onvia’s paid subscribers already know. To receive five free project leads related to your business, call 1-800-331-2822.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Working from Home
Create a routine
I launched my first venture in a walk in closet. I was living in Chicago and started a home based business. My business was primarily phone based and I rarely met with clients in person. I didn’t have a lot of structure and for the first 6 months or so; I had the cleanest apartment ever! I would tidy up, do laundry, and before I knew it was 3:00 and I hadn’t gotten much work done and I was still in my underwear.
I had to change my mind set. I had to trick myself into going to work each day, which isn’t easy when you work in a walk in closet. I’d get up at a set time every morning, take a shower, get dressed and go for coffee (my early ventures may be directly responsible for the success of Starbucks). When I returned, I was now at work. I needed some clear indicator of the start of my work day.
Create boundaries
When we physically “Go to Work,” our family doesn’t expect to see us for 8-10 hours. And while there may be a phone call or two during the day, there is a general understanding that you’re busy – you’re at work. It’s important if you work at home that you create the same boundaries. You’re are at work – even if that means you are sitting in a walk in closet or the laundry room wherever it is that you’ve carved out a little space.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Fixed Costs vs. Variable Costs
The difference between fixed costs and variable costs is that fixed costs don’t fluctuate as your sales volume changes. The landlord expects the same rent every month regardless of whether you are having a good month or a bad month. Rent is typically a fixed cost.
Variable costs are tied to sales and usually are either Cost of Goods Sold (often called COGS) or some other direct expense tied to sales such as commissions, shipping charges or packaging. If I were a hot dog vendor – the more I sell, more supplies I need – hotdogs, buns, condiments, sauerkraut, napkins – my food costs are directly related to sales.
There are exceptions of course. If my business grows dramatically, I may need to take on a larger space thus increasing my rent.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Business Development Program for Small Businesses
SBA Proposes New Regulations to Strengthen the 8(a) Business Development Program for Small Businesses
The U.S. Small Business Administration this week announced proposals aimed at strengthening opportunities for disadvantaged small businesses to benefit from its 8(a) Business Development program.
The proposed 8(a) regulation changes are the result of the first comprehensive review of the 8(a) program in a number of years and were published today in the Federal Register. The rules cover a variety of areas of the program, ranging from providing further clarification on determining economic disadvantage to requirements on Joint Ventures and the Mentor-Protégé program. The public comment period on the proposed changes is open for 60 days.
“The 8(a) program has a proven record as an effective program for helping disadvantaged small businesses gain access to training and contracting opportunities to help them grow, create jobs and ultimately succeed in the marketplace once they graduate from the program,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “These proposed changes build on that foundation of success, and will strengthen the program and maximize its benefits for eligible small businesses.”
The 8(a) program is a nine-year business development program for small businesses that fit the SBA’s criteria of being socially and economically disadvantaged. The 8(a) program helps these firms develop their business and provides them with access to government contracting opportunities, allowing them to become solid competitors in the federal marketplace. It also provides specialized business training, counseling, marketing assistance and high-level executive development to its participants. In FY08, small businesses received $16.1 billion in 8(a) contracts.
Some of the components of the 8(a) program that the proposed changes will affect include:
- Joint Ventures – qualifying that 8(a) firms are required to perform a significant portion of the work to ensure that these companies are able to build capacity;
- Economic Disadvantage – providing more clarification on economic disadvantage as it relates to total assets, gross income, retirement accounts and a spouse of an 8(a) company owner in determining the owner’s access to capital and credit;
- Mentor-Protégé Program – requiring that assistance provided through the Mentor-Protégé relationship is directly tied to the protégé firm’s business plan;
- Ownership and Control Requirements – providing flexibility in admitting individuals of immediate family members of current and former 8(a)participants;
- Tribally-Owned Firms – seeking public comments on the best way to determine whether a tribe meets the criteria of being economically disadvantaged for the 8(a) program;
- Excessive Withdrawals – amending regulations on what is considered excessive as a basis for termination or early graduation from the 8(a) program; and
- Business Size for Primary Industry – requiring that a firm’s size status remainsmall for its primary industry code during its participation in the 8(a) program.
Small businesses may submit comments to this proposed rule on or before Dec. 28, 2009, to www.regulations.gov, where they will be posted or mailing them to 409 3rd St. SW, Mail Code: 6610, Washington, DC 20416 or via e-mail at:
8aBD2@sba.gov.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Stimulus Opportunities for Small Business
| November 19, 2009 |
The Stimulus Opportunities for Small Business program is a FREE half-day session featuring buyers for state and federal government projects, as well as buyers from large corporations. It will also feature local panelists able to offer insight into the latest developments in surety bonding and local workforce investment initiatives.
San Francisco Workshop scheduled for November 19.
For more information and to register go to: http://californiasbdc.org/stimulus.
Recovery Act Contracting Opportunities
For information about Small Business Contracting Opportunities in the Recovery Act click on the link below. Please pass this along to all interested parties.
City and County of San Francisco Contracting Opportunities
The Office of Contract Administration lists available contract opportunities on their Bids and Contracts Database. You may also find information and required forms for becoming a city vendor. For more information visit: www.sfgov.org/oca and click on Bids and Contracts Database and Required Vendor Forms.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Recovery Act Procurement Opportunities
Recovery.org, a service of Onvia, is tracking American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) spending by Federal, State and Local agencies and provides detailed information about what is happening in our States and Municipalities – from the moment ARRA funds are approved, to a government agency’s issuance of a Bid or RFP, through contract award to a business.
Onvia developed Recovery.org to bring unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability to recovery spending* and to ensure that every business, regardless of size, has equal access to the projects associated with the recovery efforts. In order to create jobs, businesses need information about when and where ARRA-funded projects are happening, and they need to know early on in order to prepare and submit bids/proposals. Onvia’s Recovery.org site provides early notices of projects, RFPs, bid documents, amendments to these documents, and contract award information about contractor and subcontractor recipients of Recovery funds, as close to real-time as is possible. Business owners need this information in order to actually win Recovery-funded contracts and thereby hire or retain employees to perform on the contract.
Onvia is the leading provider of Business-to-Government solutions in the United States, covering the broadest set of industries and products at every level of the public sector – Federal, State, Local and Education. For more than twelve years, Onvia has delivered unparalleled coverage of government purchasing activity and commercial/residential projects for clients in a variety of industries, including:
- Architecture and Engineering
- Construction
- IT/Telecom
- Healthcare
- Operations and Maintenance
- Professional Services
- Transportation
- Water and Energy/Alternative Energy
Businesses across the United States rely on Onvia as a comprehensive resource for industry-specific information needed to make intelligent sales decisions. Find out what Onvia’s paid subscribers already know. To receive five free project leads related to your business, call 1-800-331-2822.
All updates on recovery projects available at http://www.recovery.org/for_businesses.aspx?gloc=ALAMEDA+[CA]*CNT:06001&mloc=CA$001#
Popularity: 6% [?]
