Three Things To Know About Forming a Small Business

It's gratifying to know that I have control over my company and can manage it any way I see appropriate. The process of getting it set up was an interesting learning experience yet it wasn't an easy one. I found myself interacting with the Department of Corporations several times a week to ensure we meet state requirements, getting on my website designer's tail to correct changes on our website (and we were pass our deadline) and also researching the best marketing strategy for our app that's currently in the iTunes and Google Play Store.

The work and dedication isn't easy because you have to be focused and keep your eyes on the goals you have set for your business. But I love every minute of the hard work that I'm putting in and it doesn't stress me at all. Well maybe sometimes. It's been a trial and error for us since the information on the Small Business Administration government website wasn't clear to us and we still had to ask several people for advice.

The following are three most important things to know when starting and running your own business:

1) Write a business plan: You will feel lost if you don't. It's not that hard to write one; there are so many templates on the internet but there is one from the SCORE website that is the best. It's the following: Download Business Plan Template 
Writing a business plan will force you to decide which direction you want your business to go in and what kind of services or products you would like to provide. It definitely sets the tone of your company and you begin to have an accurate focus of your approach. It's also a great way to help you get a loan from a bank or an angel investor who will take you more seriously if you have a business plan. They will be able to see your passion of your business and if convinced, they will more likely invest in you.

Things to Know: You may come across information about angel investors and venture capitalists. Angel investors are more opt to help you fund your business in the early stage and are willing to take the risk. Some will definitely seek repayment when you get more established and others may want a percent of your profits or even some may request a portion of ownership/ stake in your business. Venture capitalist comes in later when they see your business have been established for some time and they see the progress so they will invest even more money into your company. They can invest over a million dollars while angel investors will invest between five hundred to a hundred thousand (or even more).

2) Choose your business name and structure wisely:  My husband and I didn't realize how important this was; we were just excited about starting our company and did it in five minutes. But little did we know that we should've chose our name FIRST. You do that by searching the Business Name Entity search box to make sure no one has the name that you are planning to use. We didn't do this and picked our dream name for our company. We then found out that if a company was using our future name, then our request would be rejected and we have to choose another one (and have to pay another $200 fee again). After more research, we found out more specific information; that if the company was residing in our state with our future, proposed name, we couldn't use it. We discovered a company that had our name but they were located in California so we were stressed a bit. After waiting anxiously, our name was approved. 

Please select your business structure wisely. The SBA website do have detailed, important information that I didn't want to leave out so I enclosed the link here: Types of Business Structures

Things to Know: If you choose to form a LLC, please know that you are required by the New York State to publish a legal notice about the formation of your company into two newspapers, one that is weekly and one that is daily. You can do this yourself (it's cheaper, too) and do not need a third party to do this for you. If you live in the New York State and need more information, please contact me.

3) Do not quit your day job: When forming and running any kind of business, please know that you will not make any money for the next couple of years. If your business is bootstrapped, you will have to personally drive your business using your own hard-earned money so I do not recommend quitting your job so soon. If you decide to look into a small business loan, you may also find out that some banks may not readily give you a loan to help you because of the lack of credibility.To increase your chances of receiving a loan, make sure your personal credit status is up to par (a FICO score of around 750 is really good) and if you have debt, that you are making monthly payments (even if your score is a bit lower). And if you decide to use a loan, you will have to pay it back depending on the terms. So regardless of what you decide to do, it's still smart to have your full time job during this early time in your business.

For more information, please check out the Small Business Administration as they have a wealth of information that can help you when forming your business: Small Business Administration

Career Cat now available in the Google Play store

Brooklyn, New York - A&G Connection LLC is pleased to announce their refreshing, unique career interest search app now available in the Google Play Store and also in the iTunes App Market. Career Cat is a user-friendly, exclusive app that enables users to discover new careers within the palm of their hands. Choose your category of interest and desired education level and get introduced to a plethora of careers that will ease your fears before starting your new career path.

One of the main features of Career Cat is the simplicity and the minimal effort of navigating through different careers and receiving an "insider's look" of any career description. Many users may wonder what skills are needed to become a programmer or the typical days of a petroleum engineer and a curator.

Feature Highlights:
* Simple, user-friendly interface
* Over 340 popular and "hidden gem" career positions from twelve categories
* Average salaries according to current national statistics
* "Insider's look" job descriptions

"In this society, many folks are confused about the kind of careers that are available to them and the other folks obtain degrees and pursue fields that they are not interested in," said Alex Jeffrey, CEO of A&G Connection LLC. "Our goal is to offer the ability to anyone to explore other kinds of professions and to prevent anyone from making career mistakes. I know a lot of career changers can agree that changing professions is very expensive. They have to acquire new skills while maintaining their current job so they can still take care of their families and make ends meet."

Device Requirements:
* Android, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices
* Requires iOS 6.0 or later and Android 2.1 and later
* 1.0 MB (Android) 7.5 MB (iOS)

Pricing and Availability:
Career Cat is currently free and available worldwide exclusively through the iTunes App Store and the Google Play store. Please visit A&G Connection online for more information about their services.

A&G Connection
Career Cat on Google Play

A&G Connection LLC is a fresh, new company located in an exciting, diverse area of Brooklyn, not too far from the Brooklyn Nets Stadium. Copyright (C) 2013 A&G Connection LLC. All Rights Reserved.

###

Gail Jeffrey
Co-Founder/Developer
United States
info@ag-c123.com


Link to press release:
http://www.prleap.com/pr/199890/

Cool Fridays: The Harlem Shake

There is a latest Internet dance phenomenon that is taking over the streets. All you have to do is wear a mask, dance mildly during the first fifteen minutes of the song and then when the beat drops, you get anyone and everyone that you know and start acting a "fool".  This "dance" is called the Harlem Shake. This nonsense dance parody was originated by four teenagers in Australia, who decided to create a mockery video of silliness, air-humping and unbalanced dance movement. It was released on YouTube in early February and soon became viral. Other folks started creating their own versions of the "Harlem Shake". (This move should not be mistaken for the original Harlem Shake dance move which was created by Al B in Harlem in 1981.)

A video is worth a thousand words.

Enjoy.

Career Cat Free Best Buy Card Giveaway

Were you ever curious about the day in life of a petroleum engineer, a detective or an orthotist? Ever wonder if becoming a teacher or social worker is right for you? Well look no further.

We are excited to introduce a simple way of searching for your job interests. Career Cat is a career search tool that allows you to choose from twelve different categories and desired educational levels. You will then be prompted to answer questions which will produce careers that are suitable for your interests. Last but not least, you will have the option of visiting our message board, Career Buddy 123 so you can post and answer questions and discover tips and information about any career you are interested in.

Career Cat has twelve different categories with over 340 careers to choose from.

When you download the app, please leave a review! We would love your feedback and suggestions.

We are also giving away a free Best Buy Gift Card to one lucky winner. Career Cat Best Buy Card Giveaway 

Good Luck!

Gail J.

Want To Make Extra Money? Check Out These Eight Side Hustles

1.     Wine Basket Company – What better way to entice consumers with chocolate, biscuits, nuts and some wine? Start-up costs are very minimal as you shouldn’t massively start spending on bulk items. Start out small with creating a couple of baskets, take pictures, create some postcards and try selling your creations in your neighborhood.

2.     House cleaning services – If you enjoy cleaning, not having serious overhead and rather go to your consumer’s place, then this business is for you. Some folks may think having a cleaning business isn’t all that but the potential to make serious money is definitely there. The start-up costs involve buying a couple of cleaning tools, buying a contractor liability insurance (it looks official and establishes credibility), make some business cards and flyers and start letting people know about your services in the neighborhood.

3.     Pet-sitting company – If you are a pet lover, then consider this side hustle. Managing a pet business is fun and the market for pet-sitting is small. Startup costs depend on personal factors since you can manage your business from your home or rent a place. Consider making the room very pet-friendly such as having toys or providing pet training services (which can be very lucrative).

4.     Virtual Assistant – This business is perfect for stay-at-home moms or anyone who is looking to work from home on a part-time basis. Society is still not to accepting of virtual assistant positions because some companies prefer the employee to be in the office. But the potential is there to be very successful. It’s a bit easier to start using third party services like oDesk, Freelancer and Elance by creating a profile. Search through the job postings, apply and start making money.

5.     App Developer – Have a cool app idea that can be the next Angry Birds or Temple Run? If you have the skills or you’re interested in taking some classes on C++ or Javascript, then you should take advantage of the opportunity and become an app developer. Or if it’s easier, you can ask us! We can do it for you J.  Know that Google/Android Developers pay $25 per year and iOS (Apple) Developers pay $99 per year to establish a profile and an account.  (For iOS Developers, you will need a Macbook and the Xcode program to develop and submit your app to Apple).

6.     Make-up artistry – If you enjoy creativity, have tons of MAC products and your artistry skills are tight, then do yourself a favor and start getting paid to make others look beautiful. No formal education is required unless you would like keep up-to-date with trends; look into taking some classes in fundamentals of make-up, application techniques, airbrushing or even getting a special certification in FX make-up artistry.

7.     Blogger – Love writing? Enjoy interacting with your online audience? Being a blogger is definitely fun and you have the opportunity to write about exciting topics, give tips and information to your online audience. The way to make money from blogging isn’t easy as you need to increase online traffic to your website (joining the Adsense program through Google) and joining affiliate programs. It takes time, sweat and late nights to establish a successful blog and articles but it’s worth it.

8.     Weight loss/fitness/nutrition services: One of my friends lost a substantial amount of weight from healthy eating and exercising and soon after, established her company by offering advice and training. She actually did this while attending school and holding down her full time corporate job. If you enjoy helping others, physical fitness and offering healthy-eating advice, this side hustle can bring in decent income. Start by showing off your before and after photos and sharing your story to others; this will build credibility.

A&G List: The Ten Least Stressful Jobs

The Confucius saying goes, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life". That is true to an extent. But if you are not interacting with difficult, picky clients, saving's someone life, standing on your feet for the whole day, selling a piece of real property... then your job doesn't sound that stressful! We all have to deal with stress one way or the other but there are some jobs out there that won't have you crying and regretting "why" every night.

10. Archivists: Besides the salary being low yet the degree level being very high, an archivist doesn't have to deal with too much stress besides dealing with the public. Their main responsibility is appraising the value of historical items that are brought in by clients. Besides that, archivists are usually between the bookshelves, lifting and shelving heavy items, cataloging them into a computer database, helping patrons with research and giving exciting presentations to the public or at conferences. Majority of them work in libraries or research organizations. Some folks may call this job boring; I call it an easygoing job. 

9. Teachers: This job really depends on many factors and some readers may be highly offended. But the reason this was placed on the list is because it really depends on what kind of teacher you are. For a kindergarten teacher, they may have the least amount of stress in terms of not having papers or exams to grade when they get home. An besides, what is so stressful about interacting with cute, little children each day? Now becoming a middle school teacher and up is a different story. Can't say is least stressful when they are dealing with students who cuss at them because they can't graduate on time and then they have to deal with the crazy parents who will defend their child's honor. That can be somewhat annoying and yield moderate stress levels for teachers. But at least they get the summers off. Not bad for a "stressful" job.

8. Vice President of the United States: Please tell me what are the responsibilities of Joe Biden? I am very curious and would like to fill the number 8 spot because I have no idea. Obviously, his job isn't that stressful; we would've heard something by now besides reading the Wikipedia version of his duties.

7. Writers: Unless you have an article deadline to meet or scheduled book signings, being a writer isn't that stressful. Writers can work independently, ignore the phone when it rings and work at their own speed. They can live inside their imagination and record their creative thoughts to form the next best-seller or an interesting article. One of the few cons that the writer has to really stress about is having "writer's block" but after a relaxing drink and some rest, the writer can "peacefully" sit his/her desk again and continue to write without any disturbance from a manager, friends or family. And besides, I don't hear James Patterson or J.R. Rowling complaining either.

6. Personal fitness trainers: The main goal of the personal trainer: to get a client to lose unnecessary pounds. Additional benefits for the personal trainer: your body continues to look great and you have excellent self-esteem. Personal trainers may have to deal with difficult clients when it comes to explaining whats best for them but they do what they can. At the end, they collect all their fees up front and provide their services as requested. In regards to the client following their directions or tips, I am sure they can care less. Their job doesn't entail extreme workload except for sending out Paypal invoices and traveling to the client's home, if necessary. And answering to a boss may be unusual since most of them work independently. Not that stressful.

5. Bookkeepers: I was a bookkeeper for three years and I have to be honest...I wasn't that stressed. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was a non-profit....but I worked as a part-time bookkeeper for a fashion designer as a temp...I wasn't that stressed either. Bookkeepers can make pretty decent income, ranging from $35,000 to $50,000 depending on your responsibilities and whether you are a full-charge one or not. They usually work with the controllers and accountants by maintaining the "books" such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank recs and journal entries. They aren't really dealing with crazy clients unless you have a micro-manager for a boss. Otherwise, they can leave work on time, go home and sleep at night.

4. Models: Dare to disagree. A model's job is to have the best body than everyone in this world and to look beautiful...all the time. You get to attend cool parties, take exotic photos, wear clothes that no one else can afford and travel around the world. Maybe at times, a model can have some stressful days like posing too long in the same position or being on a lettuce diet so they can lose more weight. So with that being said, models have one of the least stressful jobs .

3. Reality TV star: Yes, it's a real job (officially after the first airing of the Real World). Anyone can be a reality show celebrity; no formal education is required. They don't have too much to worry or stress about except for the cameras following them around but that's what they signed up for; an invasion of privacy. But really, they get free publicity, endorsements, invitations to VIP events, free access to parties and a decent check per episode or season. They don't seem stressed at all when they are acting crazy on television.  

2. Customer service representative at Bloomberg: I know someone who makes around $60,000 as customer service representative and just have a regular 9 to 5 schedule. This person doesn't even have a college degree except for a couple of college credits. She also says it's not bad in terms of stress; the job is easy and no over-time. She makes me more than me and I am RN (a jobless one). If I knew about this job before I switched careers, I would've applied for it and saved thousands of money from loans.

1. CEO: Now what stress do they have? I understand that they are managing a large company with about 100+ employees or even more. I also know they have to make important decisions such as preparing budget cuts and laying off workers (those decisions never benefit us). But seriously, they don't have to worry about losing a job since their positions are recession-proof; they still get bonuses, even when the economy sucks. Lets take the Hostess situation for example. And what about other CEOs with paychecks that are over millions of dollars? Is it me or am I the only that feels they are overly-compensated for a job that doesn't require extreme mental or physical energy? Welcome to America.

Is your job stress-free? Do you disagree with the ones that are stated above? Share opinions.