Ask SmallBizClub

I would like to know how to register my business as a woman-owned business on a national and state level.

Of course, if you own your business, then it is a woman-owned business; however, whether any other minority or women-owned business certification would possibly be of any advantage for your particular business will depend on your target customers, financing requirements, and other factors.

What is the best printer that will be most efficient and cost saving for my operation?

Technology | Ed Fox

Consumable costs (toner, ink, drums, laser modules, and other parts that need periodic replacement) are a consideration with any printer and can make buying an inexpensive printer a higher cost proposition in the long-run. With a laser printer, using high capacity toner cartridges is one way to lower operating costs, particularly if you have a monochrome printer. But basically you will need to research consumable costs to evaluate which printers may offer the lowest operating costs.

As I grow, how do I price my services to maintain a profit and still be affordable?

Marketing | Bill Wortman

You have discretion in setting your prices. Your local competition, the status of the industry in your area, your particular employee wages and operating cost structure, how much profit/income you (the owner) want to make, and other factors will affect your particular service prices.

What is the best way to determine intercompany fees when two companies share key resources and overhead expenses?

Tax & Accounting | Rick Gossett

One approach to calculating intercompany management fees is to analyze the labor being spent on each business and then allocating overhead costs as a percentage of labor to determine a total intercompany fee. Also, there may be a particular legal bill or other unique costs that may be charged directly to a subsidiary or affiliate company in addition to the normal intercompany fee.

How do I go about hiring a sales team to work on commission instead of salary?

Sales | Matt Tarkenton

Minimum wage regulations: The following government and labor information indicates that outside sales jobs are not subject to minimum wage laws and could possibly receive no pay other than earned sales commissions:

How can we determine what type of insurance to purchase for our business?

Risk | Rebecca Kincaid

We are not licensed insurance agents and do not provide insurance coverage recommendations or quotes to members; however, we can provide members with helpful business insurance information and resources. Also, fidelity bonds are common among businesses that have employees working in clients’ homes and other client premises;

How do I go about attracting, finding, training and most of all being able to retain the right employees?

Human Resources | Angela Cordle

In general, there are no short cuts to recruiting, hiring and retaining good employees, and the process takes much more effort in low wage industries. These workers will quit any time a better opportunity comes along and, depending on the size of your workforce, you may spend as much or more effort recruiting new employees as you do looking for new clients.

How Should I Go About Choosing a Business Entity Type?

Starting a Business | Rick Gossett

Many small businesses are structured as unincorporated sole proprietorships and General Partnerships due to their formation and maintenance simplicity and costs; however, the primary disadvantage with a sole proprietorship or General Partnership is that it is not a separate legal entity, even when it uses a trade name (also known as an assumed, fictitious business or Doing Business As (DBA) name), and the business obligations and claims of creditors are the personal obligation of the business owner.

How far back can you amend taxes, and what forms are needed?

Tax & Accounting | Rick Gossett

In order to obtain a credit or refund, an amended federal or state tax return must be filed within 3 years after the date you filed the original return or within 2 years after the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.

What type of form do I need for people wanting to volunteer their services?

Human Resources | Bill Wortman

We do not know the types of activities these volunteers would perform for your business, but it is unusual for individuals to volunteer their services to for-profit businesses. It is more common for nonprofit organizations to utilize volunteers.