Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Getback on January 20, 2011, 01:52:27 PM
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After 2+ years of being unemployed it seems the only way. Further I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited to do so. My family and friends, including some online, have encouraged me to do so. What I would like is a suggestion on where to get business cards and for those more savvy suggestions for a letter of introduction.
Thanks all in advanced.
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well it just so happens that I too have just started my own company. I make Business Cards
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After 2+ years of being unemployed it seems the only way. Further I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited to do so. My family and friends, including some online, have encouraged me to do so. What I would like is a suggestion on where to get business cards and for those more savvy suggestions for a letter of introduction.
Thanks all in advanced.
Business cards can be professionally made at any print shop. They usually have minimums like 250 or 500. In a pinch you can print some on a printer using card stock from some place like Office Depot.
As for a letter of introduction, that depends heavily on what type of business you are going to start.
Good luck!!
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And when it comes down to it - you shouldn't need to cut corners, minimize costs on business cards. I get hundreds for (last time I checked) under $20 per box.
DO take the time to plan what yours will look like, and think about the information you want on it. (Nowadays, include email and if you have it a website addy). Make it look good! You can get ideas from supply catalogs, many of which have templates and generic logos.
DON'T print your own from a computer!!!
EDIT: Just did a quick google, and found a number of companies that have design your own card templates - which can be handled over the internet entirely. And scanning the prices, its like 500 for $10 with starting options.
I started from scratch, didn't join an existing office. Best advice I can give is to watch your expenses carefully especially at the start. Don't know what business you're in - some cost way more to run than others.
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I make my own cards. really easy. What business are you starting?
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I'm not going to print from my computer for sure. I don't have a website...........yet. I fear the cost of that though I know it is somewhat reasonable from what I have heard.
I need to setup a new email for my business.
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I make my own cards. really easy. What business are you starting?
Accounting, leaning towards project accountant. My CPA license is pending. Passed that in September.
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Good luck starting your own. I have been involved with the startup of 74 businesses and at the last count 43 of them are still around just over 10 years later :)
Take any advice you can get, make sure you have enough capital to not take out wages the first year and dont be too proud to ask others for help. Keep your costs down and stay away from the usual traps of fancy company cars and office supplies/computers etc that you really dont need. The only people you will impress with fancy businesscards and gadgets are the people you buy them from.... not your customers.
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Getback
For your website and domain name I recommend Hostgator. They're very reasonable.
Also I am fairly decent at tinkering in photoshop so if you have a concept on the card I'd be happy to try to put it together for you.
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I'm not going to print from my computer for sure. I don't have a website...........yet. I fear the cost of that though I know it is somewhat reasonable from what I have heard.
I need to setup a new email for my business.
Get yourself a domain name. It shouldnt cost more than $20 a year at the high end. Most registrars also have the capability to host your email for a small additional fee. The website doesnt have to be complicated. You might even be able to find a graphics student that can help with that at a reasonable cost. Good luck!!
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For business cards I'd recommend vistaprint - cheap, easy to use, you can use their templates or upload your own (pdf format).
Website, use a decent hosting service (I'm using limewebs.com cos its free and I'm cheap) see www.gpwit.limewebs.com (http://www.gpwit.limewebs.com) if you want to take a peep at it.
Good luck Getback, just started mine in december and its slow going at the moment, but getting better.
Wurzel
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After 2+ years of being unemployed it seems the only way. Further I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited to do so. My family and friends, including some online, have encouraged me to do so. What I would like is a suggestion on where to get business cards and for those more savvy suggestions for a letter of introduction.
Thanks all in advanced.
I make and order the business cards for my flight department from vistaprint.com
Easy to do. "Free" ones have a cheesy vistaprint logo on the back (free advertising for them) and the premium ones are blank back or however you want them to be. When I had my own business I would print small calendars or flight plan forms on the back of them so the individual was more likely to hang on to it since it may prove a handy tool.
Food for thought.
Good luck!
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or www.overnightprints.com...... .... Any other place might give you the same quality but take a little longer. Prices are good at both.
I make and order the business cards for my flight department from vistaprint.com
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After 2+ years of being unemployed it seems the only way. Further I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited to do so. My family and friends, including some online, have encouraged me to do so. What I would like is a suggestion on where to get business cards and for those more savvy suggestions for a letter of introduction.
Thanks all in advanced.
Buisness card wise - I've had great results from websites that offer good selections and a lot of choices but that also charge a reasonable and nominal fee for the service and product. Online companys that offer to do them for free or for a deal that's too good to be true ("10,000 cards, any way you want them, for only $1!") at best end with me getting a responce from them that they never recieved my order, despite confirmation emails I recieved months ago when the order was placed.
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I'm not going to print from my computer for sure. I don't have a website...........yet. I fear the cost of that though I know it is somewhat reasonable from what I have heard.
I need to setup a new email for my business.
Hosting is NOT expensive, and if you look online you can find website templates for under $100. Once you get a domain, you have a built in email - and with how cheap these steps are, I'd really recommend going for the professional feel they would give.
My business is also in the professions, and like I said I started mine from scratch. I'm not an accountant, but I find myself wondering if you could even go without the costs of an office at first - play up the personalized, customized service you give and the fact that you give "house calls" at their places of business.
But I have no idea how that would go over, and I don't know if that'd make things feel more fly-by-night. I do know that in my line of work, there are a few doctors whose entire practice is based on house calls - and what they lose in volume they make up for in lower overhead.
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Accounting, leaning towards project accountant. My CPA license is pending. Passed that in September.
If you're certified or pending in the state of California, drop me a PM. I'm a small fish, but lazy and would much rather throw you the bones than some place like H&R Block. :D
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Hosting is NOT expensive, and if you look online you can find website templates for under $100. Once you get a domain, you have a built in email - and with how cheap these steps are, I'd really recommend going for the professional feel they would give.
My business is also in the professions, and like I said I started mine from scratch. I'm not an accountant, but I find myself wondering if you could even go without the costs of an office at first - play up the personalized, customized service you give and the fact that you give "house calls" at their places of business.
But I have no idea how that would go over, and I don't know if that'd make things feel more fly-by-night. I do know that in my line of work, there are a few doctors whose entire practice is based on house calls - and what they lose in volume they make up for in lower overhead.
What he said.. I grabbed a couple of domains this weekend for $45 and got unlimited hosting for $8.95 a month. Hostgator has a really intuitive website builder. I hate to keep pimping them but I've been really happy with them for 7+ years.
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or www.overnightprints.com...... .... Any other place might give you the same quality but take a little longer. Prices are good at both.
Co-sign....
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Just started my own as well. woot :)
:cheers: :salute
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I run a few different businesses, the main trick is to be humble with cash as you dont and wont have any for a while but also dream your dream every night focus on what you want out of this and then let nothing get in your way.
You have to have a phone number get a VOIP as its cheaper and answer the phone you cant make money just hiding behind a computer you have to interact with customers.
If you can do the hard yards it becomes a dream in the end give it 3 years and do anything you can to make money just to start the business as an example i sold stuff i made in my shed on ebay just to pay basic bills, i made screen printing kits and printed t-shirts to start others into a business but it wasn't what i wanted or my core business.
The main thing is you have to live on F-all and know one day it will pay the bills but better than that it give you a life where you are the master and as an example of that i tell people to f-off instead of being told the same by a boss.
5 years into most of the businesses and now i close down for 8 weeks for holiday and even after having to many i am off again in 2 weeks for 2 weeks because i want to.
Its not all about money its about owning your life and making your own future its not always fun but it always gets better.
Be positive and put in alot of time and stress and it will just happen.
Best of luck
forkit
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also hostgator is a good host i have a reseller account and its dirt cheap.
Get VOIP its cheap.
Dont worry about business cards unless you are out and about networking with people instead spend your money on a site or better still learn how to make one yourself and then spend money and time on SEO for the site and rank well with google.
Business cards, mail outsetc are old school i find that cold calling and ranking in google will beat business cards hand down or any other old school marketing method.
But the main part is being confident no matter how young you are and also doing a good job as word of mouth is the most powerful marketing on the planet next to ranking in google.
The best advise is learn from your mistakes and take them on the chin but never beat yourself up for fU$% up just move on and kick some ass.
forkit
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I make and order the business cards for my flight department from vistaprint.com
Used Vista Print all the time at United Way. best prices, just have to wait for them to arrive. If you want them now then pay a little more for Kinko's. I made cards at home a few years ago for parent's business, but I did have some issues with printer not aligning exactly with cards if you use a color other than white as background.
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After 2+ years of being unemployed it seems the only way. Further I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited to do so. My family and friends, including some online, have encouraged me to do so. What I would like is a suggestion on where to get business cards and for those more savvy suggestions for a letter of introduction.
Thanks all in advanced.
for business cards, you've got a couple of options.
you can make your own. they sell card stock, and there are programs to do them.
try vistaprint.com. they're pretty good, and seemed reasonable when i got mine there.
local print shop should be able to help you too.
for the letter of introduction.......if you have microsoft office on your computer, you should be able to search for a template.
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for the letter of introduction.......if you have microsoft office on your computer, you should be able to search for a template.
If you don't want to put out for the expense of Microsoft Office, Open Office is a good, free alternative. It's available for PC and MAC products and is compatible with MS at least through version 2007.
www.openoffice.org
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Get some business cards, but put most of the money into a website. Websites are the drive for todays businesses, everyone has a computer these days. Finding products, store hours, etc is all easily done on websites. If you'd like some help making one I'd be glad to help.
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Good Luck to you Sir.. Starting a business can be challenging and at times frustrating, but the rewards will come if you put your heart and mind into it.. :salute
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Go for it Getback.... I know you want a TilDeath computer. :D
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Accounting, leaning towards project accountant. My CPA license is pending. Passed that in September.
I hope you are ready to put in REALLY LONG hours.
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Getback my dad has been a self employed CPA for decades, just recently retired. I'll PM you his some contact info, I'm sure he would have some advice.
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Wow folks great suggestions! You folks are the best. Arian, I wish I did live in CA but I live in Indiana. I don't mind the long hours. I studied as much as 20 hours per day working towards my CPA certification. So the drive is there. I've yet to come up with a name for my business. I could use Bennett Accounting services but that doesn't emphasize my strongest skill, problem solving. I'm heading to the Thesaurus now.
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Getback my dad has been a self employed CPA for decades, just recently retired. I'll PM you him some contact info, I'm sure he would have some advice.
Oh that would be great!
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How's this for a name, "Let's Solve It Accounting Services"? I don't quite like it but I hope that provides a starting point for suggestions.
Addendum: Okay, Here's the name "Resolve Accounting Services".
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before you decide on one check registry.com to see if something similar is available. Also if they want more than $15 to let you register it go to Hostgator. Just my advice on that one.
Getback Accounting? j/k :D
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PM sent! If you ask he has some good stories of how the CPA exam went down back then.
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I've used Vista Print for cards - was satisfied with them...
HTH
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For a website I'd recommend webs.com
I currently man 50 sites from there (all linked).
Great way to get started for free and a yearly domain name (not www.example.webs.com but instead www.example.com) is only 20 bucks.
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How's this for a name, "Let's Solve It Accounting Services"? I don't quite like it but I hope that provides a starting point for suggestions.
Addendum: Okay, Here's the name "Resolve Accounting Services".
If you are going to make most of you clients from the web keep your name very short or abbreviate a long name as google dosent like really long names as domain names, so check for the domain name and also check with the department that registers businesses name and make sure you can have both or it will look messy.
So "Resolve Accounting Services" would be better as ResolveAccounting.com and "Let's Solve It Accounting Services" could be lsiaccounting.com etc
When you get a site up spend your time making it white hat SEO freindly for google, that means it has to have real content and no tricks that may seem a cheap way to get rank from google.
I often use scriptlance.com for jobs with my sites that i dont have time for like building a site from scratch or SEO as you post the job and people bid on it to get your job and you can check their prior work and find a good cheap person to do any work you cant figure out.
Get a site before you get business cards as i have 1000s of business cards and have only ever handed out a few hundred and never got a job out of then yet.
Get a site first!.
Forkit
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Good luck, Gb.
<S>
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How's this for a name, "Let's Solve It Accounting Services"? I don't quite like it but I hope that provides a starting point for suggestions.
Addendum: Okay, Here's the name "Resolve Accounting Services".
what about your name?
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what about your name?
Yep. My dad just used his and my mom's middle names, sounds professional and works.
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My family used first initial and last name followed by industry. for example J Stewart Accounting Services
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what about your name?
I thought about that. Then I decided I wanted action in the name.
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just throwing some more ideas here.
why dont you start a mobile car detail business, low over head an begin with your neighbors and friends first.
carpet shampoor and cleaning is another good, all you need is a shampoor and "steam" cleaner. have a couple of friends who asked me to join them, stupid me said no. they're doing pretty good right now. they clear 3 to 400 each a day. Not enought to make you rich, but it's just a start.
and if you got your cpa license and can do taxes, dude hand out fliers to your friends and neighbors. you are about to hit the tax season. really easy money. i did taxes for my friends last year at 20 bucks for ez form or both state and federal (i am cheap).
semp
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good luck :salute