A friend and fellow networker recently updated me on the upcoming 1099 changes.  I think it’s important to get this information out there!  I truly hope that this is changed before 2012, if not we are going to be seeing 1099 forms in our sleep. 

From Eileen Evans, CPA:

“Yesterday I took a seminar on the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Currently, 1099’s are issued for payments over $600 to unincorporated businesses that provide a service.

Under this Act, it IS expanded to incorporated businesses and purchases of products.

HOWEVER… only businesses issue 1099’s, individuals do not issue them so no you will still not need to issue a 1099 to your daycare.

AND… this is effective for the 2012 tax year (which don’t issue 1099’s until 2013).

AND… both the instructors and myself believe this will be changed before 2012.  

(In fact I’m hoping the whole thing gets repealed otherwise I may hang it up and goint to work for Domino’s Pizza)”

Thanks Eileen for your professional insight to this mess and your fantastic humor!!

Google has moved to Google Instant.   What does that mean?  It means that google search results are now INSTANT.  It means when you type something in the search engine, it will show you live results on every social networking site AND it’s updated the moment someone types or discusses that topic that you just typed into the search box!  

What does this  mean for the future of social networking sites?   It means that if you own a business and you don’t have a facebook page, you should think about creating one yesterday!   If you do have one, managing that page needs to be re-thought!   Why to both?   Now that you can see live feed of what people are tweeting, blogging, facing and spacing about, this changes everything about how to market your company.  Facebook is NO LONGER for the teenagers. Facebook pages are growing by the second.  If you aren’t researching what your competitors are doing, then keep on sending postcards in the mail, because you are gonna miss the boat!  I’d love to go into more detail with anyone that has questions about this. 

To find out more about this, I’ve included a few blog posts about this topic below.  If you need marketing assistance with your social networking or you’d like a facebook page professionally designed, contact us today!

Facebook is the New Google!

Google Instant

Independent Projects Social Media Packages

Want to hear a real VA answer real questions? Everything from how to work with a VA to various tasks a VA can do for you!

Download Here and save file, then click open.

Are you on Facebook?  Twitter?  LinkedIn?  Most important question is,  “Do you have a social media marketing strategy?”. 

So many think that creating a facebook business page or twitter account or linkedin profile is social networking.   It is not.  If you created a page and haven’t done anything with it in months; if you created a twitter account and haven’t tweeted; or if you created a linkedin profile and have yet to join groups or post a discussion, you’re not involved in social networking.   

You need a social media coordinator. That person or company should ask you a series of questions and request valuable information to even begin the process.  There is a list of things you should do to become successful at social media.  Some of them are listed below.   You also want to contract a person or company that has their OWN facebook page, twitter account and linkedin profile.  After all, if they claim they are social media experts, they should be marketing themselves in the social networks, RIGHT? 

1. You should be asked to provide your website
2. You should be given your badge code or URL address for your social media site id’s to be added to your website AND email signature line. 
3. You need to provide a image file of your company logo or a professional headshot/profile picture
4. You should be asked a series of questions to figure out what your target audience is

This is just some of the information you should be asked when signing on with a social media marketer.

Social media is a great way to build brand, website traffic, sell products and much more.  Facebook is changing the way we market every day.  Make sure your social media coordinator is following up on all changes!  Our social media packages are reasonable and we offer more than just  “build a page” standards!  Contact us today to find out how we can help you become successful on social media networks!

If you’re thinking of having someone create a Welcome Landing Page, make sure you find someone who is keeping up with the changes. You will soon not be able to design your landing page using FBML static applications. Facebook is moving towards IFrame.  Existing tabs created with FBML will not be touched.

Read more at All Facebook

Now you no longer have to type the @ symbol to tag a person or page in a status update!!   It ONLY works when you use a capital letter, however, as it recognizes proper nouns!  Smart! 

To find out more, read up at All Facebook!

Looking for an affordable way to stay on top of social media without investing all of your time?  Check out our social media package and set up a free consultation with us to disucss your social media strategy.   A lot of people think you just need a facebook page…..What you need is a great team to not only build that page for you, but help you come up with the best strategy for that facebook page, twitter account or linkedin profile.  It’s not just about having a page!

Social Media Package:  All you need for spacing, facing, twitting and linking

Do you have a nice new Welcome Landing Tab, AKA FBML static application, for your business facebook page? Make sure you let your designer know about these changes that ARE happening on Aug 23rd so that they are prepared to deal with the width, which will now be a 520 pixel width. And the profile box is going away on personal AND business pages!  If your designer isn’t up on the changes, contact Independent Projects to help you fix it after Aug. 23rd!   Also, view our Social Media Packages!

I keep seeing so many of my facebook friends falling for the facebook dislike button.  With so many viruses out there that spread like wildfire through facebook, I’m certain to check out everything before I join a group, like a page, download an application, etc.  You can never be too careful.  Here’s some info on the facebook dislike button:

Facebook Dislike Button is a Scam!

Poor management is the single most deciding factor on whether a business succeeds or fails.

When a business becomes successful, it takes a life of it’s own. And as a small business owner running a successful business, you start to realize your juggling a lot more than what you may have originally anticipated.

Many business failures aren’t the result of bad economic times, but poor business management and administration. You must know where you and your business stand at all times, from planning to communicating, organizing and controlling, to directing and delegating.

Common Mistakes You can Make as a Small Business Owner:
–Contracting the wrong people
–Miscommunication or insufficient training (know your product and know how to delegate exactly what you need)
–Doing too much
–Misuse of time

When you find that it is time to delegate, you must be able to trust the person you are delegating to. You are letting someone else handle YOUR clients’ projects. It can be very hard for business owners to let go of the work, but when you find someone you can trust you can delegate at the drop of a hat, which leaves you more equipped to react instantly and decisively with confidence when problems arise. For small businesses one bad week can be fatal.

It’s always a good idea to go over your business plan on a quarterly basis to re-evaluate the administrative procedures of your business. When you get to the point where you are ready to delegate, pat yourself on the back! Not only does this mean you’re successful, but it also means that you are aware you can’t do it alone and you are ready for a change!

Good Luck and Happy Planning