Summer...it's time for some fun!

We hope you are enjoying your summer and spending time with friends and family. During these long summer days it's a good time to start thinking about your website and online marketing campaign. I know, I know who wants to think about work when the sun is shining and the wind is warm, right?! In fact this is a perfect time to start working! Creating an effective marking plan takes time and you want to make sure you are covering all your basis with so many online resources with Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and so many more it's important to identify your target customers and learn their online habits.

Is Twitter better then Facebook? Or the other way around? Let's face it time is money and if you spend too much time and make the wrong decision you'll loose money. XBS will help you identify what is the best marketing direction for you and help you execute a time and cost effective plan! Our motto is "we bring you success" for a reason! So while you're laying in the sun (with your sunscreen on of course!) thinking about your business remember XBS is here to help!

Year end is fast approaching, are you ready?

A HUGE benefit of hiring Xpress Business Solutions to do your accounting is you don't have to fret the end of the year. All of your accounting is up-to-date and after reconciliation for December your books are ready for the CPA. We can send your books to your CPA or we have an in-house tax professional that can process your tax return for you. No late nights, no extensions, your ready to go!

Contact us at www.xbizmn.com to see how we can help you succeed!

Why you need a logo and professional marketing materials

Why do you think you need a logo and marketing material? Here are just a few of the benefits of branding your business with a logo and consistent marketing materials.

1. To look bigger and more established. Home printed business cards and clip art tell your potential clients your a small time vendor and that is how they will compensate you!
2. To attract more clients. Some clients look for a well-defined company, and a look and feel may be one of their criteria for making a purchasing decision.
3. To brand yourself. You need a professional logo to brand yourself and build an image that is greater then your own identity.
4. To convey that you are reputable. A logo and professionally printed materials shows you are committed to your business and your clients.
5. To give your clients a sense of stability. If you haven't been in business for many years, but you invested in your identity, you are more likely to remain firm and relevant in the eyes of your clients and it goes a long way in building trust.
6. To leave a lasting impression. 40% of people remember what they see compared to what they hear or read. Having appealing graphics and a consistent design associated with your business makes you more likely to be remembered.
7. To differentiate you from your competition. A well-designed logo can have subtle meanings and can tell the story of how you do business that helps you stand out from the crowd.
8. To show your commitment. Do it for the sense of personal pride that it will add to your business.
9. To explain your company name. If your company name is different or hard to pronounce a logo to give visual clues to its meaning leaves a lasting impression.
10. To increase your chance of earning venture capital or of selling a business. If you present a well-rounded business package that includes marketing materials and graphics, our business will look more complete.

These are just a few of the reasons you need a professional logo, print materials and web site. Contact us to see how we can help you succeed!

Accounting and the art of delegation!

I was recently listening to a video blog that said one of the keys to success was to delegate, delegate, delegate. Speaking from experience, I understand that delegating can be a hard task to do. At times it is easier to pass along the work to others but making sure the work is completed in a time and to your standards can be difficult. When I talk to potential clients about outsourcing their accounting many become squirmish about delegating the accounting to someone else. There are a few things you need to keep in mind when your outsourcing your accounting:

1. Pick a firm that is insured.
2. How long have they been in business.
3. Make sure you are understand how it's going to work.
4. Know how involved you want to be in the day to day accounting and what you need help with.
5. Hold the firm accountable, you are the customer.
6. Ask questions!
7. Review your bill.
   

Knowing what role you want to have and what you want them to do lets everyone know what is expected. A good accounting firm knows how important it is for you to know what is going on at all times. At the beginning of each month you should be able to call the accounting company and ask for reports or if your accounts have been reconciled, if their not ask WHY! Did you get billed for the work that is not complete? Ask questions! Make sure you follow up and if you're not happy then find a company that will perform the tasks you ask in a timely fashion.

These are just a few things that let us stand above the rest, we've been doing this for a while and we know what we're doing. Call XBS and see how we can help you!

It's time to GO GREEN!!

Create a website as your online brochure, provide useful email able forms, product catalogues, and so much more. This not only reduces your printing costs but also allows you to "GO GREEN". Just think you're saving the environment and your wallet at the same time! I'm sure you've heard this all before, just make sure that you are utilizing your website the way it's intended. Make sure your content is updated regularly, advertise specials, is your site optimized, all these things increase traffic to your site. Have you considered a mobile version of your site? If not we can help!

Don't forget your accounting department! I know accounting and going paperless are almost a joke, right? Well not really. There are ways you can reduce your usage here too. Instead of printing important emails or documents, save them to your heard drive. It's less expensive to back up your hard drive then it is for a box of paper. Reports can be securly emailed, checks can be paid electronically, even performing accounting tasks can be done remotely. Just think of the endless possiblities. If you do find yourself having to print documents, don't forget about the BLANK backside. Tear the paper into 4's and now you have scratch paper, then when done recycle it! If it is confidential and you need to shred it, recycle the shreddings!

If you want to learn of more ways you can go green, contact us for more information!

You've got your marketing plan, now Execute!

You should of spent the end of 2009 finalizing your marketing plan, budget, and web campaign to help launch your business to the next level this year. With the competitive market you can't just rely on repeat business, changing your website, printed ad materials, banner ads, and mailers will help drive your business. Making sure you are listed on the Local section of Yahoo, Google, and others all helps drive business to your site. Increasing your web presence doesn't have to be expensive, but it does need to be consistent. Making small changes monthly to your site or suggesting a newsletter sign up and offering coupons can drive customers to you.

At XBS we can help you execute your game plan and finalize a solution that works best for your budget.

Are you ready for year end?

Is your accounts up to date and reconciled? Payroll entered in with the proper breakdowns? Are your W9's completed for your contractor's 1099's? Most businesses end their fiscal year in December and most have to file their returns by March. Yes, you can file an extension BUT why? We help clients get organized and stay organized!

I heard this commercial today on the radio that was selling "proven" sales techniques, one of the points they focused on was not spreading yourself too thin. Being a small business owner you wear many, if not all, the hats which leads to overwhelming amounts of work. What XBS tries to do is help you identify what needs to be accomplished, come up with a game plan, and then execute. We start to get a flood of calls from business owners and CPA's (who have "this" client) that need to be brought current BEFORE they can file their taxes.

If you are already our client, at year end we make sure all your information is in for the previous month and begin processing your tax return. No stress, no headaches, simple.

Wow! What a concept, something that is simple. Call a professional and stop stressing about things you can control.