Back in 2004, Eric and I decided to take the plunge into the small business world. I wanted to work with the independent authors and publishers that I had fallen in love with throughout the 90s with my work with Jan and Terry Nathan and the #IBPA (then called Publishers Marketing Association), and we devised a plan. I explained that I wanted to "get authors where they can't get themselves" -- My husband and business partner asked, "Like a hotel concierge?" And thus, the light went off for Eric and it made sense to me, so WHY NOT Concierge Marketing Inc.?
At the time, "Concierge Marketing" was not a type of marketing -- that came several years later. Now, "concierge" is often used with "marketing". We captured the name that night in every possible variation.
Initially, we worked with artists and musicians too -- but I won't waste too much time on that, except to say that Seth Godin's "The Dip" helped me make the decision to focus solely on my authors and small publishers and refer the musicians and artists to other marketing experts.
My first client, Janie Peterson of Behaven Day Centers and Behave'n Kids Press, gave me extremely valuable advice. She said "Make friends with your attorney, your accountant and your banker. They are going to be close for a long time." So I went to the Small Business Administration's excellent full day seminar where I met one of each as they taught our class. I still employ the same people that presented that day, and I do consider these people friends (business friends). Janie has always been a trusted friend, and also a valuable mentor. Thank you Janie (and Roger)!
After I took the #SBA classes and another full day #SCORE seminar on taxes, Eric and I decided to go for it. The first official thing I did was to call the attorneys and start the process to incorporate.
The second official thing I did was to join the Omaha Chamber of Commerce on October 20, 2004. The educational and networking opportunities were fun, well run, and priceless. Worth every penny of membership and I highly recommend it to anyone opening a business in Omaha. I don't know about other cities, but our Chamber is top notch. Heck, in 2012 when a group of thieves tried to steal our copper cable in the building and we were down for the count for 9 days, the Chamber let me use their conference room and phones, and even allowed me to have Fedex and UPS deliver my packages to their offices. Last March, 2013, Concierge Marketing was honored as the @OmahaChamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Month and then nominated for Small Business of the Year in 2013.
On April 2, 2005, I was standing at the Starbucks at the Mall waiting for a press conference to begin for the National Sleep Week festivities, with Janie's Sleep Fairy, and the Nebraska Sleep Fair I had organized. Well, if that date seems at all familiar, it was the day Pope John Paul II passed away. Needless to say, no press thought my Sleep Fair was more important than that. Hmmph. That's the day I met Sandra Wendel, owner of Write On Inc. who happened to strike up a conversation at that Starbucks. Not only is she the finest book editor without question, but she has also been a wonderful mentor and friend. Concierge Marketing would not have been able to do what we have done without her. Thank you so much, Sandy.
Bottom line, I could go on and on and on about the people who have been part of my life and my vision. It takes trust, support, courage, humility, faith in your idea and your skills, and a lot of people to make the dream of owning a small business a reality. It also takes a sense of humor, and I can tell you we have laughed a lot in the strangest of situations. I'm grateful for the opportunity to do business with amazing, bright, smart, caring, thought-leading people who I admire and love -- as mentors, staff, friends, clients, and partners. I'm ready for the next ten years.
Humbly,
Lisa Pelto
Showing posts with label small business administration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business administration. Show all posts
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Setting Up Your Micro-Publishing Company
You've decided to publish a book! Congratulations! Now get off on the right foot by acting like a real business. Decide who will be your accountant, your attorney, your insurance agent and your banker. I'm none of those things, but this is the basic order I tell my clients they will need to set up their business. Consult professionals to make sure you are protected and legal.
Establishing your micro-publishing company is the first step in the self-publishing process that most self published authors don't consider until later. Setting up a proper company not only legitimizes you as a business and sets you on the right track to thinking like a business, but it also provides a safety net in more than one way.
1. Name your company
Your company name should be related to your area of expertise or topic area in some way. However, don't make it hyper-focused on what you do or who you are, as that will flag you as a self publisher immediately.
2. Establish a business structure - LLC, S-Corp, Partnership or Sole Proprietor
Consult your accountant or an attorney to determine what is best for your particular business. Based on your structure, you'll have tax implications and expense considerations as you are creating your book. Apply for a business license in your state, and a reseller permit (different states call these different things. Always check with the State Treasury.
3. Open a PO Box or some other address (other than your home)
You will receive mail, packages and possibly even visitors -- don't give them your home address in your book. Mail Boxes Etc. and places like them can accept packages for you. They also call your box a Suite # rather than a PO Box, giving the illusion of an office space.
4. Purchase QuickBooks and Create a Basic Chart of Accounts
To understand basic business accounting, attend the SBA's SCORE business start up class: http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/. You have to have a Chart of Accounts for your business dealings as well as for filing your taxes. You can do it with Excel too, however a program like QuickBooks walks you through how to do it. With Excel, you need to know what you are doing and why.
5. Get your Federal EIN and a License from Your State http://tinyurl.com/CMI-FEIN-Link.
You must have your business structure already set up to get a Federal EIN, which is basically your company's Social Security Number. Every bookseller or retailer that sells your book will ask for it when they pay you. Your checking account will be tied to your business name and this number.
6. Open a Bank Account
Sign up for the simplest business checking account you can get, with the lowest fees attached. Call the bank before you head out, because you will probably need to bring in your business papers, such as your Federal EIN letter, your Operating Agreement, Articles of Organization, photo ID, etc.
7. Design Your Company logo and business identity items
You can have a logo created by any graphic artist, but keep these things in mind:
Establishing your micro-publishing company is the first step in the self-publishing process that most self published authors don't consider until later. Setting up a proper company not only legitimizes you as a business and sets you on the right track to thinking like a business, but it also provides a safety net in more than one way.
1. Name your company
Your company name should be related to your area of expertise or topic area in some way. However, don't make it hyper-focused on what you do or who you are, as that will flag you as a self publisher immediately.
2. Establish a business structure - LLC, S-Corp, Partnership or Sole Proprietor
Consult your accountant or an attorney to determine what is best for your particular business. Based on your structure, you'll have tax implications and expense considerations as you are creating your book. Apply for a business license in your state, and a reseller permit (different states call these different things. Always check with the State Treasury.
3. Open a PO Box or some other address (other than your home)
You will receive mail, packages and possibly even visitors -- don't give them your home address in your book. Mail Boxes Etc. and places like them can accept packages for you. They also call your box a Suite # rather than a PO Box, giving the illusion of an office space.
4. Purchase QuickBooks and Create a Basic Chart of Accounts
To understand basic business accounting, attend the SBA's SCORE business start up class: http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/. You have to have a Chart of Accounts for your business dealings as well as for filing your taxes. You can do it with Excel too, however a program like QuickBooks walks you through how to do it. With Excel, you need to know what you are doing and why.
5. Get your Federal EIN and a License from Your State http://tinyurl.com/CMI-FEIN-Link.
You must have your business structure already set up to get a Federal EIN, which is basically your company's Social Security Number. Every bookseller or retailer that sells your book will ask for it when they pay you. Your checking account will be tied to your business name and this number.
6. Open a Bank Account
Sign up for the simplest business checking account you can get, with the lowest fees attached. Call the bank before you head out, because you will probably need to bring in your business papers, such as your Federal EIN letter, your Operating Agreement, Articles of Organization, photo ID, etc.
7. Design Your Company logo and business identity items
You can have a logo created by any graphic artist, but keep these things in mind:
- Logo should be no wider than it is tall-equal height and width.
- Logo or a portion of your logo should be able to fit on the spine of your book
- Logo should be designed so it's identifiable in a small size
- Logo should look good in black and white and color; stay away from drop shadows and gradients
These 7 things don't take a long time to set up, but they would take a long time to fix or create after the fact. You could potentially set up #1-5 plus #7 in one day, and then get #6 done when the paperwork comes in. Your new best friends are your accountant, your attorney, insurance guy, and your banker. Use them now to prevent bigger expenses and potential legal issues later.
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