CT Latest To Attack Amazon Through Affiliates

Connecticut is not quite there yet, but they’re considering it. They’re the latest in a growing number of states attempting to force Amazon.com and other large Internet retailers to collect state sales tax due to a “nexus” in their states composed of affiliate marketers.

Connecticut, like several other states, is trying to find its way around a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision that held a state cannot force businesses to collect sales taxes unless they have a physical presence within that state.

So, the poor Connectcuttian(?) sitting in his home office that puts an affiliate link on his web site means that Amazon has a physical presence in their state? Read more.
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What You Need For A Home Office

Lots of you are looking at starting a home office, especially with the latest recession. We’ll look at the three main components of a home office – the space, the furniture and the technology.

You can start small and expand later or outfit your home office with the latest and greatest – the main idea is a functional and comfortable work environment.

Home Office Space

Unless you live alone, you really want your home office to be in a separate room – with a door that can be closed. It keeps out noise and distractions, allows for privacy and is easier to write off on your taxes.

A spare bedroom or small den should work fine. It should also be well lit with several lamps (one for the desk) rather than a bright overhead light. The consensus today is a light and airy decor rather than the dark oak paneling of yore.

If you don’t have a spare room, at least try to outline an office space. Use a corner of the family room. Have a couple of lamps to light the space. Consider a folding screen to block off the area.

Home Office Furniture

Office supply stores will have “office suites”, often for $1000 or more. They’re worth checking out even if you can’t afford one just to see how they’re laid out. If you have to piecemeal your office here’s what you need. Read more.
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5 Items For A Memo From Myself to Myself

With the end of the year coming up it’s time to review what has happened last year and what will happen next year.

Harvard Business School asks CEO’s to write a memo to their Board each year summarizing lessons learned and plans for the new year. For a home office or small business owner you may not have a Board of Directors, but the principle remains the same.

So, what I recommend is writing a memo to yourself.

I’ve taken the liberty of modifying the list from Harvard, so here are the five things I recommend you actually write down in a memo…

1. Lessons learned in the past year
It’s okay if strategies or tactics didn’t work out as long as you realize why they didn’t work and correct it in the future. By the same token, write down what did work.

2. Top priorities for the next year
You should have 3 – 5 goals for the next year. Don’t add a new goal during the year unless it is replacing one has been completed.

3. Set parameters for those goals
Actually create a timeline for your objectives with earliest and latest completion dates and the top and bottom limits you want to spend to achieve them.

4. Lay out strategies
Sure, your goal is to make more money, but how? Create a new product, expand your mail list, improve customer service?

5. Review your memo regularly
Don’t just write it and forget it. Drag it out every month and see where you are. Are you on schedule? If one is near completion, what’s next?

There’s all sorts of gurus and coaches out there that will tell you to write your goals down. Why? Because it works! It only takes a few minutes and is well worth your time..
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Recession Creates Uptick In New Businesses

A recent study by the Kauffman Foundation shows an uptick in business startups in 2008. It’s what the New York Times calls ‘accidental’ or ‘unintentional’ businesses.

Many unemployed people are turning to small business startups as an alternative to a corporate job, a job they got laid off from and are having little luck finding a new one.

The NYTimes article goes on about startup costs…

…the costs of owning a business add up quickly. There are state and local taxes and fees, insurance, salaries and contract pay, overhead, inventory and the like. And these days, lenders are none too generous when it comes to forking over money to new businesses.

For an online business that’s just nonsense. All that can come later. To start an online business all you need is a bank account and an Internet connection.

Read more.
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Where Do Moms Go For Advice Online?

The answer: Other moms online

A post by Stephanie Azzarone at mediapost.com’s Engage: Moms had some interesting statistics:

• 35 million of the 40 million women in the U.S. with children 18 or under are online
• Over 16.5 million of those moms are blog readers or publishers

• 67% of moms online look for help making a purchasing decision

• 78% of moms who blog review products

And moms looking for advice online usually go to other moms…

Studies show that moms are increasingly losing trust in established “experts” — institutions and the like — while trusting more in what other moms have to say. That trust extends beyond members of their family or immediate community to other moms — strangers — they meet online.

In other words, she says “Bloggers can promote products or services more credibly than companies can on their own.”

So, if you are a Mom you can start a home business as a blogger giving advice and selling products to other moms. Many do product reviews as a lead-in to affiliate sales.

Read more.
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How Technology Affects Your Home Business

Setting up, maintaining, and managing a home business has become vastly different with the introduction of today’s new technology, which includes the Internet and e-commerce. People are actually finding it easy to become managers of their own businesses, from the comforts of their home.

Small home based businesses and home offices have been created all over the country by people who would like extra income on the side and those who would like to break from the bondage of a traditional 9 to 5 day job.

But let’s take a closer look on what technology has done to home business. It has revolutionized both the mechanics and the scope in a very convincing way.

Read more.
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