The goWholesale Blog

Online accounting tools reviewed

February 29th, 2008

There are a number of very good accounting software applications that you can buy and install on your computer. These are tried an true programs that are specifically designed to make your life easier when it comes to keeping the books.

But what if I told you that it could be even easier? That’s right. You can save time (and maybe a little money) by using online applications to do your finances.

FreelancerSwitch reviews 7 of these bad boys so check em out!

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business, Finance and Accounting | No Comments »

Microsoft helps out the little guys

February 28th, 2008

Attention all small businesses (50 employees or less, that is)!!!

Microsoft announced at the beginning of February, they will offer further discounts to small businesses on their software. The original plan, called the Open Value Subscription program offered special services and features to small business owners but the new plan will help cut costs even further with up front discounts and flexible payment systems. The plan will cost about a third of the license-only expense currently available to small businesses.

Along with the new licensing aspect, they are also offering a partner program called “Big Easy” that will give money back to small businesses who buy products from specific partners that they can, in turn, use to buy other products later on.

Posted in Finance and Accounting, Starting a Business | No Comments »

Where the virtual world meets the real world…right around the corner.

February 27th, 2008

How awesome is this?

Did you know that every year the National Retail Federation’s conference and expo features the latest advancements toward the stores of the future. The X08 is a “mock store” where buyers can try before they buy. IBM is already trying to incorporate this virtual technology into their business. Their version of the virtual store allows customers to choose from various features and get a nearly complete sense of what they’d be investing in, using 3D technology.

And electronics is just the beginning. A company called Fit Just Right has visions to create a virtual shopping experience for shoppers that would include the store knowing your measurements so that you get the right fit whether in store or online as well as featuring a jazzed up dressing room.

It starts with a sales assistant scanning your clothes so that he or she knows exactly what you’re taking into the Retaligent dressing room.

“As the customer is in the fitting room, you can request a different size, different color for a particular item,” said Russ Miller of Retaligent Solutions. “They may want to request coordinating items. They may just want to page the associate for additional assistance, so they’ll use the kiosk in the fitting room to do those things, and then the associate will get a page on their mobile device that says bring a blue medium or bring the coordinating sweater for this item or just stop in and help.” (Virtual Store -BeepBeep.com)

Amazing.

This is a trend that, while still in the works, you need to consider as a possibility for growing your business. The opportunities of combining cutting edge technology and more efficient customer service may prove to be worth the investment.

Keep your eyes peeled!

Posted in General Discussion, In the News | No Comments »

3 Online Business Calculators for Accounting & Taxes

February 26th, 2008

Whether you’re starting a business or just needing a quick reference, online business calculators are the entrepreneur’s best friend! There are many available online and below you’ll find some helpful calculators for the current tax season.

Accounting and Taxes

When it comes to the health of any company, the day-to-day monies coming in and going out are important to keep tabs on. There also needs to be a good amount of planning to make sure you know what you should be putting aside for Uncle Sam, so you are not unpleasantly surprised at the end of the year.

Working Capital Needs Calculator - Working capital is the money you need to have in the bank to be able to pay all the bills that come into your accounts payable department. This calculator can show you what is happening with your cash flow and what you need to be bringing in to keep your head above water.

Self-Employment Taxes Calculator - If you are self-employed, there are all sorts of tax and deduction rules that may apply to you. This calculator will help you find out what you will end up paying when it’s all said and done.

Gross Pay Calculator - If you have employees, you need to make sure you are taking the right amount out of their paychecks to cover all tax and federal deductions, as well as any benefits. This calculator will make sure your number crunching is correct.

For more calculators check out our article “We’ve Got Your Number - Business Finance Calculators“

Posted in Finance and Accounting | No Comments »

eBay Fee Hike Followup

February 25th, 2008

At the beginning of the month I posted about the eBay fee hike…

Since then, smaller sellers in the eBay community have rallied together to boycott the hike as eBay attempts to court the bigger sellers. Sadly, the mini strike apparently had little to no effect and eBay remains firm in going through with the changes on Wednesday.

It looks like smaller sellers or anyone not happy with the fee hike should look closely at the pros and cons of doing business through eBay. There are eBay alternatives that facilitate auctioning such as Amazon.com or you could even consider beginning your own. Whatever you decide….good luck!

Posted in In the News | No Comments »

Tips for Surviving the Slow Down

February 21st, 2008

Small businesses are some of the most affected by economic downturns. While these practices can and should be implemented during times of prosperity as well, they will help businesses survive during a recession.

Get involved: Don’t just join local organizations and charities–get on the committee board! This not only will help you stand out and make a name for yourself, but it will also get you meeting and working with more people. Also always keep in mind that strangers you strike up conversations with at the grocery store or fellow parents at a PTA meeting can be new customers/clients. It’s good old fashioned networking.

Reach out to existing clients: These are people you already know need your goods and/or services. Chances are they like doing business with you and are willing to do more if you take the time to think of new ways to serve their needs. If you can’t think of anything yourself, call them up and ask.

Do NOT cut your marketing budget: You need to market yourself more than ever when consumers are shy about where they are spending their money. You are competing even harder to make the sale over other competitors so you need to reinforce your brand, products and services as things people still need, despite the economic downs.

Offer a special service or discount: It may seem counter intuitive to charge less when you need to be making more, but this tactic will get people buying and let’s face it, customers buying at a discount are better than no customers at all. Also a little extra customer service should cost little to nothing at all and the benefits could be very important to keeping your business afloat.

Posted in Finance and Accounting, Generating More Sales | No Comments »

Top 5 Bummers Of Online Social Networking

February 20th, 2008

You’ve heard the countless praises of online social networking, but as with anything, there is some bad that comes with all the good. And so I give you the five biggest bummers of participating in online social networking.

5. Scams

This one is pretty easy to understand but very important to consider. There is plenty of white-collar crime that goes down on the internet and social networking sites are not exempt. The anonymity the internet provides opens the door to con-artists and scammers so you have to beware.

4. There’s so many - How do you keep up?

Since the explosion of Myspace and Facebook (personal oriented) and LinkedIn (business oriented), social networking sites have been springing up everywhere. So which ones do you join? If you join too many, it could become a full time job keeping up with all those different networks. If you don’t join enough, you could be missing out on valuable networking opportunities. Where do you draw the line?

3. The stereotype of joining for self-interested reasons

Let’s be honest. Most people (who are not Gen Yers) are going to be joining these networks to promote their business. And if you are one of these people that’s fine. BUT, you’re not the only one who knows that. So you are going to have to fight, or rather work that much harder to get people to believe that you are truly interested in them/their business.

2. Time and resources

Whether you join many or few networking communities, you will have to commit time and resources to the task of creating and maintaining any relationships you might form. And even after all of this work it’s possible you may not even glean any postitive results! While the relationships you can form can be good (or dare I say, great) for business, you’ll have to weigh the return on investment here.

1. It’s impersonal

There’s no two ways about it. Networking the ‘old fashioned’ way allowed people to read body language, watch immediate reactions and learn first hand what others’ businesses do and what problems they are facing. While the internet is quite “instant” it has enabled delays between personal communication and this has damaging effects on business. There’s really nothing that compares to face to face interaction.

I would like to state here that I personally believe online social networking is crucial to e-commerce/business. There is a whole wide world (literally) of opportunity with this avenue and I recommend exploring it. Just keep in mind the other side of the coin as you make your decision!

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business, Marketing Your Business | No Comments »

Mob Shopping: Is America Ready?

February 19th, 2008

Are you?

Mob shopping, also known as team buying, is a consumer buying tactic originating in China, that involves gathering a group of people together in-store to drive a bargain with the seller. There are many websites and forums (TeamBuy.com.cn) that facilitate the time and place. The popularity of these events is mostly due to the cultural ideology that no price is set in stone and that bargaining is a way of life in China. And consumers are seeing results. While many sellers do not particularly like this new tactic, some are embracing it and even setting up events themselves so that the teams who are willing to buy right away will get a discount.

The internet is a large part of the success as the instant communication is vital to organizing these sometimes spur of the moment events. Also, the with internet’s world wide reach more and more people are becoming exposed to the idea… and it’s catching on.

So what do you think? Will this shopping craze work in America? As a store owner, would you be willing to bargain with these groups of people in order to move more product?

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business, Generating More Sales | No Comments »

Company Wikis taking off

February 15th, 2008

I don’t know about you, but whether when I have a question about a person, a process, a product, a band, etc. my first stop on my road to discovery is usually Wikipedia, one of the most popular online information resources. And for the first time in history, the editors are the readers!

But the point of this post is not to sing the praises of Wikipedia, rather sing the praises of the concept of the Wiki. Did you know that small businesses are using Wikis to better organize and present information? Did you know that you could be doing the same thing?

More and more businesses are doing this because they claim it is far easier and more effective in communicating information throughout the company. Employees can create, manage and edit pages and keep each other informed and updated. Many companies use wikis strictly for internal use, but more are opening them up to customers as well.

Posted in E-Commerce and E-Business, Marketing Your Business | No Comments »

The power of funny commercials

February 14th, 2008

Not only are they entertaining but they tend to stick in your mind and hopefully the product/brand associated with it sticks as well. If you can’t hire an advertising firm to handle your advertising, that doesn’t mean you can’t still create a funny, catchy commercial. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot. Some of the best commercials are low budget!

So for your viewing pleasure, without further adieu, because it’s Valentine’s Day and because my name is Rebecca:

Posted in Marketing Your Business | No Comments »

« Previous Entries