Top 3 TO-DO's in order to protect your business!

Small business liability protection is quite an in-depth topic. The more business owners that I have spoken with, the more I realize they are putting themselves in great danger. Liability protection is such a huge thing when you own a LLC/ DBA. This is not like my typical post. This issue does need to be addressed though. Here are my top 3 things business owners should do to limit liability protection. 


1. File your business as an LLC instead of a DBA. 
-The DBA simply means that you are "doing business as" xyz company. What this puts you at risk for is a total loss of business & personal assets if there is any lawsuit. The LLC limits liability because it separates yourself from your company in terms of liabilities and assets. If you xyz company was to be sued, they could only take assets of the company (unless negligence has occurred). 
Click here to go to the IRS page for business licenses


2. Create a separation of business and personal finances. 
-Open a different checking and savings account for your business. No business activities should be processed through your personal account. A journal/ledger for all transactions is the simplest way to keep yourself in balance as well. Calculating businesses balance sheets becomes much easier too.  This will make your company more transparent and limit and actions that would be taken against you personally. 
Click here to go to the IRS page for business accounting practices


3. Educate yourself on your regulation. 
-No one wants to read a 200 page book on out dated business regulations. From experience, networking is a great way to increase your knowledge while building business contact. This is a necessary task though. Your local township or city hall is the place you want to start looking for this information. Once you get going, it will turn into an interesting topic; especially when you it could save you EVERYTHING you own!
Click here to go to the Michigan business one stop page


Protect yourself and all that you have worked for! If you need help revamping your business structure, let Green Life help. Not only are we a marketing firm, but we are dedicated to small business services in general. I hope that this blog has given you a very basic knowledge of liability protection. 


"Ignorance is bliss, until you get sued."

Scan here to visit our website!

-T.b. 

What a mobile world we live in.

This is my first post via iPad! This little device has come in rather handy lately. Unfortunately not all the apps work as well for iPad as they do for the iPhone or Mac. This iPad is also going to be used as the register system for street meat! technology has come such a long way. Life is much more mobile and convenient now!

Tomorrow my brother and I are going to look at a hot dog cart for street meat. Luckily Its located right within the tricities. We were looking for carts as far away as chicago, so this will be an even better find. I have had at least one or two people approach me every week saying how excited they are for it to open!

The next step once we have a cart is tackling the health department review and inspection. While I strive to be as clean as possible when in a food handling situation, it is still quite stressful. I am excited to start all the marketing for this venture and have a grand opening! I will keep everyone posted as to when that will be!

This Wednesday there will also be a public forum held at MSU in Lansing to discuss business and economic development in Michigan. I believe that it starts at 11 am with a small lunch. It is free to the public as well. I have pasted the link below!

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/01/msu_hosts_public_forum_on_mich.html

I forecast change.

Change is inevitable, and there is quite a bit to come. While doing more research and rearranging finances will be necessary; this possible, very undecided venture would be a great investment. As most people know, I have wanted a coin laundry for a while now. Going to a few places in this area has made me realize that I can blow competition away. Customer service, good product/ service, & marketing will be key essentials in this venture. I know that I am currently not in the financial position to start up multiple businesses this year. I like to dream big, never hurts.

On a related note, Street Meat LLC will become a more popular topic of this blog. I have completed the Servsafe course as required by the health department. I have located multiple carts that are great potentials! We will be serving hot dogs, pizza, chips, and drinks.  We have the register system ad credit card processing tools as well. We decided to use square, since they have great rates and can be used with an ipad! I love technology (sometimes). We will be located in the parking lot across from Retro Rocks & Meinberg's. Instead of going to McDonalds every weekend, come to Street Meat! 'Like' us on Facebook to keep up with new info.

Green Life is looking for business owners trying to sell their business. Make you listing stand out with the addition of a comprehensive marketing plan. If you show potential buyers a step by step guide on how to manage and market a business that will generate sales, it is hard to say no. If you know of anyone looking to sell their company, send me their info! click here----MY EMAIL

'You are not the only person affected by your actions, how are you making a difference?'
-T.b.

Success, what's your definition?

With the new year finally here change is in the air. Motivation seems to have been kicked into high gear lately; or at least between business partners and myself. Bulldog Pizza is much more focused on customer service and food quality standards than it has ever been before. Our reviews on urbanspoon are coming in more regularly now! It's great to see people take time to let us know how we are doing.

Social media has been the only form of advertising (besides word of mouth) that we have used at Bulldog. With QR codes on the menus linked to Facebook, you can see what the specials are while holding a menu in hand! Technology has sure made life much easier. After reviewing the statistics Facebook provides, there has been an increase of over 1000% on our page! That is awesome! Having an established Facebook following is a sure fire way to get your name out there.

Developing a website is my next undertaking here. Websites are cheap, easy, and drive plenty of traffic. The website for Green Life is the second largest driver of people to my blog. That says a lot right there. It's a new generation with technology that changes daily. Outdated marketing methods can no longer be your main focus. While some businesses will not see a benefit from using every single site out there, there is a reason there are over 800,000,000 users on Facebook alone.

The more I look at businesses in this area the more potential I see. Business owners are burnt out and tired of working day and night for little to no return. My suggestion; put your manager in charge and take a 2/3 day vacation. Don't go on a week long cruise through the bahamas, but  give yourself a break. you've earned it. When you come back, start with the basics. Customer service, product quality, marketing, and development of proper management structures. Life doesn't have to be spent slaving away, so why do it? I know that I don't plan on doing it.

Welcome 2012, you have been much anticipated.

The new year is finally here! It brought with it a wave of energy that I have rarely seen before. Everyone has priorities to better themselves and make life worth living again! It's great to be able to feel that kind of energy with people. We need it, especially after being told 24/7 that the world is in a rough spot.

While I did not make any NYE resolutions, I do plan on being more active and doing a bit more traveling this year. I will be taking a mid west tour in January to visit a friend in WI and will be making stops along the way! No weight loss/gain, gym requirements, or personal trainers needed here. I just want this year to be filled with success.

Business wise life has been slightly bumpy. The pita line has launched! While some technical errors did arise in the beginning, it looks like things are under control. Unfortunately every advertising department I call, never calls me back. We'll get mainstream soon, no need to worry. Luckily, Bulldog serves a great product that you can actually eat more than once a week!

Street Meat.........That's a whole different animal, you'll get more info in the spring!

(Sorry apparently you cannot resize these?)

-T.b.