Online Incorporation MaxBlog

Deciding to incorporate was one of the most important business decisions youve had to make. You most likely chose the incorporation type that offered you the greatest limited liability protection and other advantages. But, did you know that courts can take away limited liability protection if it is determined you have not been operating your corporation properly? This is called piercing the corporate veil.

How strong is the veil of protection around your business? Not sure? Its not too late to protect your business. Here are some things you can do to get your corporate affairs in order.

1. Follow the rules and regulations closely. Adhere to state requirement regarding the organization and operating a corporation.

2. Hold regular corporate meetings with shareholders. Be sure to keep records of meeting activities, minutes and decisions made.

3. Keep good records in a corporate book. Use this book to keep incorporation records, maintain meeting minutes and shareholder information.

Protect the business advantages garnered through incorporation. Need a little help? Learn more about the corporate veil and protecting your corporate structure in the MaxFilings Incorporation Knowledge Center. Also, find out how MaxFilings Corporate Kits can help you secure your corporate status.

by Habiba Abubakar
Profit Diva

So how do you go about finding joint venture partners? The first question you should ask yourself is this: “Who already has influence and credibility with my target market?”

In answering this question, the best place to start is with “warm” contacts. Warm contacts are your existing network of friends, mentors, business associates and suppliers. It’s the best place to start because it’s easier to persuade someone you already have a relationship with to participate in a joint venture with you.

But what do you do if no one in your network is suitable? Then, you’ll have to work with “cold” contacts. In other words, you’ll have to go out and find partners.

Whether you’re partnering with warm contacts or cold contacts, there are common places and instances where you can network and build relationships that can lead to profitable joint ventures.

Here are some of those places and instances where you’ll find potential partners who have influence and credibility with your target market:

1. Seminars and Workshops

Seminars and workshops are the number 1 place for finding potential joint venture partners. This is because of the feast of networking opportunities provided by such events. Often, these type of events last for up to three days. This gives you a chance to make strong connections with the other delegates. You’ll also find that people who pay good money to attend seminars are often those who are serious about growing their business.

2. Trade Shows and Exhibitions

Sometimes, it can be more worthwhile to work the floor at trade shows and exhibitions, rather than having a booth. Why? Because you get to meet potential joint venture partners that may not necessarily visit your booth.

3. Membership Associations

Most membership associations provide a directory which lists all the members of that association. The directory usually provides the business name, web site and contact details of members. Some membership associations also host monthly or quarterly events which make a great platform for networking.

4. Through your business associates and suppliers

Introductions from people in your network is a very effective way of meeting potential joint venture partners. You’re likely to instantly trust a person you’ve just been introduced to, if the introduction is made by someone you respect and trust i.e. your business associate. This method of finding potential joint venture partners is a sort of third party endorsement that turns a “cold” contact into a “lukewarm” contact.

5. Participate in online discussion groups and forums within your industry

Here, you’ll find experts who are respected by your target market (and are therefore potential joint venture partners), giving advice by answering questions asked by forum members. Online discussion groups and forums are also good places to find out what your target market’s opinion or impression is, about potential joint venture partners. This will help you decide whether you want to be associated with the potential partner in question.

6. Subscribe to online and offline publications that serve your target market

Magazines, newsletters and newspapers often publish articles written by industry experts who target the same market as you. Sometimes, these publications also publish “success profile” type of stories about certain industry experts. Those industry experts could be your next joint venture partners.

Once you’ve made a list of potential joint venture partners, you need to examine their character, business ethics, and customer service standards. You must also review their products and services. These factors will help you determine whether they are really a good match for your business, and whether you’d like to be associated with them. If so, then go ahead and get the ball rolling.

Copyright © 2005 by Habiba Abubakar and Emprez. All rights reserved.

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Habiba Abubakar, a.k.a. The Profit Diva, specializes in helping small business owners who are struggling to increase their client base, and are tired of earning mediocre profits. Get your copy of her FREE 7-part mini eCourse, “The Easiest Way To Skyrocket Your Profits In 90 Days Or Less,” when you subscribe to her FREE business-building newsletter at http://www.profitdiva.com

by Anne Ahira
The Best Affiliate

When two or more people agree to form a partnership which will mutually benefit each of them they are entering into a Joint Venture (JV for short). Many online entrepreneurs are recognizing the value of combining forces with others online to create a stronger marketing force.

Following are just a few of the benefits to be found by forming Joint Ventures:

The more exposure you have online the more products and services you will sell. When you and your JV partners share each other’s built in audiences and email lists, you instantly acquire the opportunity to greatly broaden your potential buyer base which translates into greater sales.

Your new partners may possess knowledge and skills which you currently lack. By forming this type of relationship you allow for the opportunity to learn much from each other. By all means take advantage of that. The more you know, the greater your chance for success.

TIPS FOR BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP

Joint Ventures are ’serious’ relationships! Don’t enter into them casually. You need to put out an honest effort to create a good, solid foundation built on trust and friendship. This will hopefully be a relationship that will last for many years and grow stronger with the passage of time. Like any stable relationship between people you need to cultivate an atmosphere of loyalty and faithfulness.

When you have found several potential JV partners and before you contact them, take the time to become familiar with their business, web site and ezine. If you can discuss their business with them they will appreciate that you are making an honest, sincere attempt to develop a partnership which will benefit the both of you. Not just you!

Your first approach to each prospect will decide the fate of your JV. You must write a strong, personalized proposal stating clearly what you feel you both could bring to a partnership and what you both could expect to achieve by joining forces. If you send an impersonal, hard sell letter you will turn your prospect off and the new JV will be “clicked” out of existence before it has the chance to get off the ground! So come from your heart when you approach a potential partner. Perhaps you would prefer to make your first contact by phone just to say hello and “meet” each other. That’s perfectly fine.

When you do make contact be certain to explain right away, how working together would be beneficial to both of you. If it is all about selfish you, no one in their right mind would consider becoming your partner! Know first how YOU could help your potential partner. Then be certain to clearly explain what those benefits are. Do you have a large subscriber list that they will gain instant access to? Will you endorse your partner’s products? How can you help grow your partner’s business?

I’m sure that you conduct your own business with integrity and professionalism; that you treat your customers with respect and offer outstanding customer service. Be sure to treat the customers of your new JV partner in exactly the same fashion! Act responsibly. Now it is not just your own reputation which is at stake but also that of your new JV partners as well.

WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER

Here are a few ideas on how partners can work together to promote each other:

When you cross promote each others products it is important that you have tried and do believe in the product. You are not being honest if you try to promote a product that you don’t believe in and that dishonesty will eventually come across in your advertising. Partner’s can agree to swap ads or articles in each other’s ezines or send promotional endorsements to each other’s email lists. Personal testimonials can be powerful sales tools so take the time to compose a good one.

Another JV idea is to bundle your packages together. Bundling works best when the product complements yours. But, be careful that their product doesn’t overshadow yours. Also, don’t pile on so many bonuses that the offer becomes unbelievable. An offer too good to be true may raise doubts in the consumer’s mind.

Agree to “swap” products with your partner and offer them as a prize. Give the prize away in a contest or do a random drawing to one lucky subscriber.

When your partner has a company which offers services related to yours, you can create a “Virtual Company”. Your customers will enjoy the convenience of one-stop shopping. By cross promoting each other, you’ll BOTH gain new customers. Don’t limit yourself to partners who are close to you geographically. Remember, with fax and email your associates can be located anywhere in the world.

IN SUMMARY

The Internet has made the world a very small place indeed. Which is wonderful for you, the Internet marketer! You could potentially partner with anyone, anywhere! Open your eyes to the possibilities, get excited and get to work. The world truly is “your oyster”! Have fun and have success.

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Anne Ahira
Editor The BEST Affiliate Newsletter

Florida Division of Corporations serves as the central agency for registering and incorporating your choice of business entities. You can incorporate with the Divisions yourself or or shop various online business incorporation services. The filing fees for these services vary. Form an LLC - So do your comparison shopping to find the best prices. But if you’d rather incorporate by yourself, the best place to start is: Florida Divisions of Corporations.

At the Florida Divisions of Corporations web site, you will find resources for starting and registering your business. The site will also give you information on self-incorporation. There may be a minimal service charge to incorporate with the Divisions.

Types of Business Entities and Other Incorporation Terms:

Florida Divisions of Corporations: Business Entities

The following summary of the Division of Corporations’ role, and descriptive list of the type of filings and registrations for which it is responsible, will help you determine if the Division provides the particular type of information or service you desire.

The Division of Corporations is a ministerial filing agency which serves as the statewide central repository for business entity filings and annual reports, the statewide central filing office for judgment lien filings, and the statewide central registration office for fictitious names, trademarks and service marks. The Division is also the resource for information contained in these records.

A corporation is a legal entity, created by statute (i.e. the state) with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a natural person; possessing the attributes of limited liability, centralized management, continuity of life and fee transferability of interest.

A for-profit corporation is a corporation created for the purpose of conducting business in the widest sense of the term. In Florida, such a corporation may be organized generally under Chapter 607 but may take on special attributes as prescribed by other subservient chapters.

A not-for-profit corporation is a corporation created for religious, charitable, or educational purposes which are generally formed under Chapter 617 but may take on special attributes as prescribed by subservient chapters.

A foreign corporation is a corporation authorized by any jurisdiction other than Florida, to transact business.

An alien corporation is any corporation authorized by any jurisdiction other than; the United States, any state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam or any possession or territory of the United States, to transact business.

A partnership is an association of two or more persons to carry on a business for profit as co-owners. General Partnership: An association of two or more partners each as a general partner with full status of unlimited personal liability and managerial control. Limited Partnership: An association of one or more general partners and one or more limited partners with limited liability and little or no managerial control (i.e. investors only).

A fictitious name is any name other than an individual’s legal name. Registration of that name is required if it is used in business in order to inform the public of who is actually conducting business.

A limited liability company is a hybrid form of entity combining some of the attributes of a corporation with the association tax status of a partnership.

A Trademark or Service Mark is a name or logo adopted by a person or entity to identify the source of a particular product or service provided in commerce. It is distinguished from a fictitious or corporate name in that it must meet a high standard of creativity and originality than do such trade names.

Federal Tax Liens, as authorized by federal law, are required to be filed in the state or local office designated for lien filings. The Division is responsible for filing liens against business entities, estates and trust. The counties record personal real estate liens.